California Health Benefit Exchange: affordability assistance.

Existing federal law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , requires each state to establish an American Health Benefit Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health benefit plans by qualified individuals and qualified small employers. Existing state law creates the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) , also known as Covered California, to facilitate the enrollment of qualified individuals and qualified small employers in qualified health plans as required under PPACA. Existing law requires the Exchange, in consultation with stakeholders and the Legislature, to develop options for providing cost-sharing reduction subsidies to reduce cost sharing for low- and middle-income Californians, and requires the Exchange to report the developed options on or before January 1, 2022. Existing law requires the options to include, among other things, options for all Covered California enrollees with income up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level to reduce cost sharing, including copays, deductibles, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket costs. This bill would require the Exchange to implement those options for providing health care affordability assistance. The bill would require the affordability assistance to reduce cost-sharing, including copays, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket costs, if specified enhanced federal premium subsidies are made available for the 2023 and 2024 calendar years, and to eliminate deductibles for all benefits to the extent feasible. The bill would require the Exchange to adopt standard benefit designs consistent with these specifications. Existing law requires the Exchange to administer a program of health care coverage financial assistance to help low-income and middle-income Californians. Existing law authorizes this program to provide financial assistance to California residents with household incomes at or below 600% of the federal poverty level, and to provide other appropriate subsidies designed to make health care coverage more accessible and affordable for individuals and households. This bill would require the program to provide that financial assistance and other appropriate subsidies if funded through an appropriation.