Numerous Bills Mandating Health Care Benefits Before the Legislature

California’s Legislature may consider at least a dozen new bills* that require health plans to cover specific health care treatments, services, supplies or drugs:

• AB 72 (Eng; D-Monterey Park) mandates that all health policies cover acupuncture services.
• AB 154 (Beall; D-San Jose) mandates that all health policies cover an expanded list of mental health services.
• AB 171 (Beall; D-San Jose) mandates health plan coverage beyond medically necessary treatment for autism by requiring coverage of services that are educational, academic or custodial in nature.
• AB 185 (Hernandez; D-West Covina) mandates that all health insurance policies provide maternity coverage.
• AB 369 (Huffman; D-San Rafael) eliminates current cost controls and unravels consumer protections in the use of prescription pain medicines by eliminating the practice of step therapy.
• AB 1000 (Perea; D-Fresno) limits co-payments for one type of pharmaceutical: orally administered anti-cancer medications.
• SB 136 (Yee; D-San Francisco) mandates that health policies cover smoking cessation services.
• SB 155 (Evans; D-Santa Rosa) mandates that all health insurance policies provide maternity coverage.
• SB 166 (Steinberg; D-Sacramento) mandates health plan coverage beyond medically necessary treatment for autism by requiring coverage of services that are educational, academic or custodial in nature.

More information on these bills, and why the CalChamber opposes them, is available on the CalChamber web site.

By: Marti Fisher, CalChamber policy advocate

*CalChamber members receive regular updates on legislative and policy matters that affect California employers. Not a CalChamber member? Test-drive HRCalifornia with a 15-day Free Trial.