Past bills Health Access Has Fought For and Against

Home Advocating for Consumers in Sacramento Legislative Information Past bills Health Access has fought for and against

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Bills That Expand Consumer Protections:

Bill	Status
SB1192 (Chesbro) adds substance abuse coverage to existing law. Similar to mental health parity.	Failed in committee
SB379 (Ortiz), which as amended would provide hospital patients basic consumer financial protections and would protect self-pay hospital patients from being charged more than the insured.	Vetoed on 9/22/04
SB1144 (Burton), which would require the Department of General Services to include Canadian sources in its prescription drug purchases.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
SB1149 (Ortiz) which would require the Board of Pharmacy to provide information on Canadian pharmacies that can safely provide prescription drugs to Californians.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
AB1957 (Frommer) which would enhance the safety of importation of prescription drugs from Canada.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
SB1333 (Perata) would allow Medi-Cal and the AIDS Drugs Assistance Program (ADAP) to reimburse pharmacies that purchase drugs from Canadian pharmacies.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
AB1959 (Chu) which would permit review of prescription drug contracts and procurement practices used by various state agencies, including Medi-Cal, CalPERS, mental health, and developmental disabilities.	Signed on 9/29/04
AB1958 (Frommer) authorizes CalPERS to establish or enter into a pharmaceutical purchasing consortium with other private or public entities.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
AB1960 (Pavley) would regulate pharmaceutical benefit managers, including requiring disclosures of their revenues and formularies.	Vetoed on 9/30/04
SB1765 (Sher) would codify the voluntary guidelines of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), requiring limits and disclosure on gifts, meals, and other inducements offered to doctors and other prescribing health providers.	Signed on 9/29/04
AB2285 (Chu), which will protect Medi-Cal beneficiaries from the illegal and inappropriate billing that currently takes place.	Vetoed on 9/29/04
SB1555 (Speier) ensures that maternity coverage is included in health insurance coverage. Prenatal care is cost-effective for the individual and for society, and the bill prevents the segmentation of the health insurance market.	Vetoed on 9/22/04
AB2289 (Chan), sponsored by Health Access California, requires the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department Insurance to gather detailed information on what people with insurance pay in deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs.	Vetoed on 9/22/04
AB2874 (Diaz) would ensure notice in the event of the closure of an emergency room or hospital, to allow communities to consider purchasing the facility.	Vetoed on 9/22/04
SB1196 (Cedillo) will permit information from a school lunch application to be used to determine eligibility for Healthy Families and other insurance programs, with parental consent.	Signed on 9/29/04
AB2185 (Frommer) ensure that pediatric asthma devices such as inhaler spacers, nebulizers, and peak flow meters are included in health coverage.	Signed on 9/29/04

Bills That Take Away Protections or Coverage:

Bill	Status
AB2996 (Richman) eviscerates coverage by allowing employers and HMOs to pick and choose what to cover. Employers and HMOs can drop any therapy, service or other benefit, including cultural and linguistic access, coverage for broken arms (but not broken legs), prenatal care, family planning, lung cancer (but not skin cancer), etc.	Failed in committee
AB2985 (McCarthy): suspends SB2, the California Health Insurance Act, for two years whenever unemployment is above 7% for one quarter. Puts at risk health coverage for millions of working Californians. Health coverage helps to fuel economic recoveries by preventing personal bankruptcies.	Hearing canceled by author
AB2990 (McCarthy): permits health savings accounts to be combined with high deductible HMO coverage. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care.	Hearing canceled by author
AB2315 (Maldonado): authorizes state income tax deductibility of health savings accounts. Health savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care.	In committee
AB1888 (Nakanishi): authorizes state income tax deductibility of medical savings accounts. Similar to health savings accounts, medical savings accounts are great for high income, healthy individuals but bad for people with chronic conditions, those with low or moderate incomes, and women and children who need frequent care.	Hearing canceled by author

 

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