Legislature Returns from Summer Recess on Monday, Faces Busy Month Ahead
The California Legislature is set to return to Sacramento from its month-long summer recess on Monday and will face a busy month ahead as it rounds out the first year of the 2019-20 Legislative Session. Upon the Legislature’s return, Senate and Assembly fiscal committees will have until August 30 to hear and report all fiscal measures to their respective floors. The Legislature will then have two weeks of floor session only before concluding for the year on September 13.
CHEAC will resume publishing the CHEAC Weekly Bill Chart next week detailing actions on measures of interest to local health departments. Below, we highlight several bills of interest set for hearing in Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees.
Access to Health Services
AB 1494 (Aguiar-Curry) as amended July 11, 2019 – SUPPORT
Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s AB 1494 is set for hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. The measure would require Medi-Cal reimbursement for telehealth, telephonic, or off-site services when delivered by an enrolled community clinic, including city or county clinics exempted from licensure, or fee-for-service Medi-Cal provider during or up to 90 days after an expiration of a state of emergency, as deemed appropriate by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
SB 66 (Atkins) as revised July 3, 2019 – SUPPORT
SB 66 by Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins is set for hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee next Wednesday. The measure would authorize Medi-Cal reimbursement for a maximum of two visits on the same day at a single FQHC or RHC location if: 1) after the first visit, the patient suffers and illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment, or 2) the patient has a medical visit and a mental health visit or dental visit.
Health Coverage/Health Care Reform
SB 29 (Durazo) as amended July 2, 2019 – SUPPORT
Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s SB 29 is set for hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. The measure would expand Medi-Cal coverage to all undocumented adults 65 years of age or older with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL). The measure was previously amended to expand coverage to those older than 65 years old after the 2019-20 Budget Act included coverage expansion for undocumented adults ages 19-25.
Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Services (MCAH)
AB 577 (Eggman) as amended July 11, 2019 – SUPPORT
Assembly Member Susan Talamantes Eggman’s AB 577 is set for hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. The measure would permit the completion of covered services associated with a maternal mental health condition for up to 12 months for an individual by a terminated or nonparticipating healthcare provider. The individual would be required to provide written documentation of a maternal mental health condition diagnosis to their health plan or insurer.
SB 464 (Mitchell) as amended June 27, 2019 – SUPPORT
SB 464 by Senator Holly Mitchell is set for hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. The measure would require specified health facilities providing perinatal care to implement an evidence-based implicit bias program for all healthcare providers involved in perinatal care within those facilities. Hospitals would also be required to provide patients with information on filing a discrimination complaint. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) would be required to track and publish specified maternal morbidity and mortality data.