Newly Enacted State Legislation Looks Toward Implementation of Federal Health Reform Law

Last year, California legislators passed several new laws aimed at laying the groundwork for forthcoming changes under the federal health reform law.

For example, one new law requires California’s individual and small group health insurance policies to offer maternity coverage. The federal reform law will require such coverage nationwide in 2014.

Another new law aligns California’s regulations with the federal reform law’s medical-loss ratio rule, which requires individual and small group plans to spend at least 80% of their premium revenue on medical care.

In a California Healthline Special Report by Kelly Wilkinson, experts discussed how the state is adapting to new requirements under the federal overhaul.

The Special Report includes comments from:

John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business Majority;
Diana Dooley, secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency; and
Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access (Wilkinson, California Healthline, 1/18).

The complete transcript of this Special Report is available as a PDF.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

<h1>Newly Enacted State Legislation Looks Toward Implementation of Federal Health Reform Law</h1>
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			January 18, 2012		</time>
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Last year, California legislators passed several new laws aimed at laying the groundwork for forthcoming changes under the federal health reform law.For example, one new law requires California’s individual and small group health insurance policies to offer maternity coverage. The federal reform law will require such coverage nationwide in 2014.Another new law aligns California’s regulations with the federal reform law’s medical-loss ratio rule, which requires individual and small group plans to spend at least 80% of their premium revenue on medical care.In a California Healthline Special Report by Kelly Wilkinson, experts discussed how the state is adapting to new requirements under the federal overhaul.The Special Report includes comments from:<ul><li>John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business Majority;</li><li>Diana Dooley, secretary of California’s Health and Human Services Agency; and</li><li>Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access (Wilkinson, California Healthline, 1/18).</li></ul>The complete transcript of this Special Report is <a href="https://www.kff.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/01/chlspecialreporttranscript011812.pdf">available as a PDF</a>.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.<a href="https://californiahealthline.org/morning-briefing/">Subscribe</a> to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.

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