Asm. Jim Wood

This measure would recognize March 7, 2020, as California Arbor Day, and would urge California residents to observe the day with appropriate tree-planting activities and programs.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive medically necessary health care services, including specified mental health and substance use disorder services, pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, for individuals 21 years of age and older, a service is "medically necessary" if it is reasonable and necessary to protect life, to prevent significant illness or significant disability, or to alleviate severe pain. Existing law provides that for individuals under 21 years of age, "medically necessary" or "medical necessity" standards are governed by the definition in federal law. This bill would provide that the above-specified medical necessity standards do not preclude coverage for, and reimbursement of, a clinically appropriate and covered mental health or substance use disorder assessment, screening, or treatment service before a provider renders a diagnosis.

This measure would memorialize the achievements of Rosa Parks in the Civil Rights Movement and would commemorate the 20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day in California on February 4, 2020.

Existing federal law, the federal 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, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. PPACA requires a health insurance issuer offering coverage in the individual or small group market to ensure that the coverage includes the essential health benefits package and defines this package to mean coverage that, among other requirements, provides the platinum, gold, silver, or bronze level of coverage or, in the individual market, provides catastrophic coverage to specified individuals. Existing law requires health care service plans and health insurers participating in the Exchange to fairly and affirmatively offer, market, and sell in the Exchange at least one product in each of these 5 levels of coverage, except as specified. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer that does not participate in the Exchange to offer at least one standardized product designated by the Exchange in each of the platinum, gold, silver, and bronze levels of coverage. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to provisions defining the required levels of coverage applicable to health care service plans and health insurers.

Existing law, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, provides for the involuntary commitment and treatment of persons with specified mental disorders for the protection of the persons committed. Under the act, when a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others, or to themselves, or gravely disabled, the person may, upon probable cause, be taken into custody and placed in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of Health Care Services for up to 72 hours for evaluation and treatment. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Existing federal law, the federal 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 board to ensure that a direct link to the formulary or formularies of each qualified health benefit plan offered through the Exchange is posted on the Exchange's internet website through which an enrollee or prospective employee may obtained standardized comparative information on plans. This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Existing law requires the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to establish an Office of Rural Health, or an alternative organizational structure, to serve as a key information and referral source to promote coordinated planning for the delivery of health services in rural California. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. The act requires a health care service plan to meet specified requirements, including, but not limited to, the requirement that the health care service plan contract provide to subscribers and enrollees certain basic health care services. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.