This measure would proclaim July 25, 2013, as Swimmable California Day to recognize Californians' rights to clean and safe waters for swimming and other appropriate activities, and to encourage Californians to enjoy and use their waters.
This measure would proclaim July 27, 2013, as Korean War Armistice Day. It would urge Californians to observe the anniversary and call upon them to honor and give thanks to Korean War veterans. It would also urge Governor Jerry Brown to proclaim July 27, 2013, as Korean War Armistice Day and instruct all state departments, agencies, interest groups, organizations, and individuals to fly the United States flag at half-mast on July 27, 2013, in memory of veterans from this state who died as a result of their service in Korea.
This measure would urge the California State Legislature and the Governor to restore budget funding to early care and education programs and to support efforts to fund and implement the Quality Rating and Improvement System and other programs that support early care and education. The measure would also urge the California State Legislature to commit to improving the public's understanding of the role that early care and education plays in securing an educated, nimble, and stable workforce to help keep California's economy vibrant and strong for years to come.
This measure would declare the Legislature's recognition of the importance of access to local parks, trails, open space, and facilities for the health and development of all Californians. This measure would also declare the month of July 2013 as "Parks Make Life Better!" Month.
The Local Health Care District Law governs the organization and management of local health care districts, formerly known and sometimes referred to as local hospital districts. Among other things, that law authorizes the board of supervisors of a local health care district to establish, maintain, and operate, or provide assistance in the operation of, one or more health facilities or health services, including, but not limited to, retirement programs, services, and facilities. The law also authorizes a local health care district to enter into a written employment contract with a chief executive officer. This bill would instead authorize a local health care district to enter into an employment contract with a hospital administrator, including a hospital administrator who is designated as chief executive officer. The bill would also prohibit a health care district from entering into, or renewing, an employment contract with a hospital administrator, including a hospital administrator who is designated as chief executive officer, on or after January 1, 2014, that authorizes retirement plan benefits to be paid to the hospital administrator prior to his or her retirement.
This measure would designate September 2013 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the State of California.
This measure would proclaim the week of September 17 through 22, 2013, as Constitution Week and urge California citizens to reaffirm the ideals of the framers of the Constitution of 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights might never be regained.
(1) Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law prohibits group health insurance policies and individual health insurance policies from canceling or refusing to renew plans and policies, except under specified circumstances, including, but not limited to, nonpayment of the required premiums if the appropriate party has been notified and given at least a 30-day grace period or other period of time as required by the federal Public Health Service Act. The health insurer is required to continue to provide coverage during the grace period. This bill would require that individuals receiving coverage through the California Health Benefit Exchange and who are receiving a tax credit pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) would be subject to the required grace period and provisions of coverage during the grace period, if any, as provided by PPACA. (2) Existing law authorizes group health insurance policies to provide, among other things, that the benefits payable are subject to reduction if the insured has any other coverage, other than individual policies or contracts, providing hospital, surgical, or medical benefits, resulting in the insured being eligible for more than 100% of the covered expenses. Except as permitted and except in the case of group practice prepayment plan contracts that do not provide for coordination of benefits, to the extent they provide for a reduction of benefits on account of other coverage with respect to emergency services that are not obtained from providers that contract with the plan, a group or individual health insurance policy or service contract issued by nonprofit hospital service plans, operating as provided, is not allowed to limit payment of benefits by reason of the existence of other insurance or service coverage. This bill would delete the provisions prohibiting a group or individual health insurance policy or service contract issued by nonprofit hospital service plans, operating as provided, from limiting payment of benefits by reason of the existence of other insurance or service coverage. The bill would add individual health insurance policies to those policies authorized to reduce benefits where the insured has other coverage providing hospital, surgical, or medical benefits, resulting in the insured being eligible for more than 100% of the covered expenses. The bill would also make conforming changes. (3) Existing law, the California Continuation Benefits Replacement Act (Cal-COBRA) , provides for a continuation of health care coverage without evidence of insurability for up to 36 months after the date a qualified beneficiary's benefits would end due to a qualifying event, including the exhaustion of benefits under federal COBRA. Existing law also provides for certain underwriting practices regarding health care service plans and health insurance policies, including, but not limited to, an agent, broker, solicitor, solicitor firm, or representative who assists an applicant in submitting an application to a health care service plan or health insurer being required to attest in writing to the completeness and accuracy of the application to the best of his or her knowledge and that he or she explained to the applicant and was understood regarding the risk of providing inaccurate information. This bill would make Cal-COBRA and certain underwriting requirements inoperative on January 1, 2014, and, if certain provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are repealed or amended, those provisions would become operative as of the date of the repeal or amendment. (4) The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) enacts various health care coverage market reforms that take effect January 1, 2014. Among other things, PPACA authorizes the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services to award states with demonstration grants to develop and test alternatives to current tort litigation for resolving disputes over injuries allegedly caused by health care providers and organizations. States interested in receiving a grant are required to develop an alternative to current tort litigation and submit an application to the secretary. This bill would require the Secretary of California Health and Human Services to submit an application on behalf of the state to the federal Department of Health and Human Services to receive a grant for state demonstration programs to evaluate alternatives to current medical tort litigation, as authorized by PPACA. The bill would require the secretary to write the application to design a program to create health courts based upon a no-fault process to improve the injury resolution of liability. The bill would specify what items a patient would need to prove under the health court demonstration program.
This measure would designate May 31, 2013, to June 30, 2013, inclusive, as Sober Graduation Month and would encourage Californians to participate in this observance and join the Department of the California Highway Patrol in supporting efforts to save lives of young people through a Sober Graduation Month.
