By Tam Ma, Policy Counsel, Health Access California AB 72 (Bonta, Bonilla, Dahle, Gonzalez, Maienschein, Santiago, Wood) is being heard in the Senate Health Committee Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Patients know they have to follow their health plan or insurer’s rules and go to in-network providers and facilities to keep their out-of-pocket costs low. Unfortunately, […]
Key Patient Rights Legislation Up Next Week
Yesterday, the Assembly Health Committee passed one consumer protection measure, SB 923 (Hernandez) on a vote of 17-0, to prevent mid-year increases in co-payments and other cost-sharing by a health plan. Other key legislation also authored by Senate Health Committee Chair Dr. Ed Hernandez and sponsored by Health Access California to protect patients from unfair […]
Labor and Consumer Groups Join Forces to Stop Surprise Medical Bills
This week, consumer and patient advocates re-launched their effort to prevent Californians from facing surprise out-of-network medical bills. Due to the failure of the legislature to act last year, California consumers continue to receive surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers after using in-network medical facilities. These bills could come from an out-of-network anesthesiologist, pathologist, radiologist […]
Prescription Costs Transparency Bill Fails in Assembly Health Committee, But Fight Continues
Earlier today the California Assembly Health Committee failed to pass AB 463 (Chiu), a bill introduced last session that would have required greater transparency around the pricing of high-cost medications. Bill author David Chiu pulled the bill because he did not have enough votes, like last year, to get it through committee. But, as he […]
Key Patient Protections Pass Legislature, Now On Governor’s Desk
With the California Legislature adjourning after midnight last Saturday, most of the action on priority bills for health consumers moves to the Governor’s desk. Most of the Heath Access-sponsored bills protecting consumers from unfair out-of-pocket costs are now one Governor’s signature away from enactment. There were disappointments in the final days of this year’s legislative […]
End of Session Recap: Legislation to Stop Surprise Medical Bills Stalls in California Assembly; Other Key Patient Protection Measures Advance to Governor’s Desk
The California Assembly adjourned Saturday morning without passing legislation to prevent patients from facing surprise out-of-network bills after they get care in in-networks hospitals or other facilities. AB533 (Bonta), sponsored by Health Access California, would have held consumers harmless for surprise bills reflecting out-of-network charges that were outside of their control (See separate AB533 fact sheet). A broad coalition […]
Most Patient Protection Bills Clear Final Hurdle, En Route to Governor’s Desk; Tobacco Measures Still Pending
Earlier today the California Senate voted 25-10, on a bipartisan basis, to pass legislation to prevent patients from facing surprise out-of-network medical bills after they receive care in in-network hospitals or other facilities. Sponsored by Health Access California, AB533 (Bonta) would protect patients from “surprise” bills from out-of-network doctors when they did the right thing by going to […]
Final Week of Legislative Session: Where We Stand on Key Bills Protecting Consumers
Key patient protection bills hang in the balance this week, as Friday is the deadline for bills to pass from final floor votes in the California legislature to the Governor’s desk. In this last week of California’s legislative session, amendments have been taken on the key bills impacting health care consumers, but the substance of Health […]
Key Health Care Consumer Protections to Prevent Unfair Out-of-Pocket Costs Advance to Final Floor Votes
SB137 (Ed Hernandez), to require updated, standardized & accurate health plan provider network directories, passed out of Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB533 (Bonta), to stop “surprise” billing from out-of-network doctors; AB339 (Gordon) to prevent unfair cost-sharing for specialty drugs, and AB1305 (Bonta) to limit out-of-pocket costs for individuals in family plans, passed out of Senate Appropriations Committee. SB248 (Roger Hernández), a bill to prevent […]
Senate Appropriations Committee Hears Key Health Access Bill and Special Session Tobacco Control Legislation
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee heard Health Access sponsored bill, AB 533 (Bonta) on “surprise billing” and select special session tobacco control bills. AB 533 (Bonta), which would protect consumers from surprise bills from out-of-network doctors when a consumer does the right thing by going to an in-network hospital, lab or imaging center was not voted […]