Gov. Jerry Brown signed off on a variety of bills in September that aim to protect patients
and health care consumers. The following laws are set to go into effect in 2017.
AB 72: “Surprise medical bill” legislation by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) was
among the most-talked-about measures of the year in Sacramento. It promises to better
protect consumers against unexpected medical bills.
Patients can receive such bills when they use a hospital or clinic considered in-network by
their insurance plan but are treated by a provider who does not contract with the insurer
such as radiologists, anesthesiologists and pathologists. With the goal of keeping patients
out of the fight between providers and insurers, the new law essentially sets a
reimbursement rate requiring insurers to pay out-of-network doctors 125 percent of the
amount Medicare pays for the service or the insurer’s average contracted rate, whichever
is greater.
“With his signature, Governor Brown has enacted some of the strongest patient
protections in the nation against surprise medical bills. This issue has been debated but
has gone unresolved for decades,” Bonta said in a statement.
SB 482: Amid a national opioid epidemic, Brown approved legislation that requires doctors
to check a patient’s prescription history in a state database before prescribing any
potentially addictive drugs. The bill, by Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), calls for doctors to consult California’s prescription drug monitoring database when prescribing controlled substances. Failure to
do so under the new law could result in disciplinary action, although there is no way to
ensure that doctors actually use this tool before prescribing.
The new law is meant to put a stop to “doctor shopping” — the practice of visiting multiple
doctors to obtain prescription for opioids.
SB 908: This bill will allow consumers to learn when their health insurance premium rates
have been considered “unreasonable” by state officials. Current law requires that
unreasonable rate hikes be posted online by one of the two state agencies that regulate
insurers — the Department of Managed Health Care or the California Department of
Insurance. But consumers don’t check online, the bill’s supporters argued.
The new law will require insurers to notify individuals and small businesses directly in
writing — at least 60 days before the rate changes — so that consumers can shop around
if they choose.
“This law will discourage unjustified health plan rate hikes and empower consumers to
make informed decisions about the coverage they are choosing,” said Anthony Wright,
executive director of Health Access California, a Sacramento-based consumer advocacy
group.
Other legislation signed by Governor Brown
Gov. Jerry Brown also signed these health care bills:
1. AB796 Extends indefinitely existing law that requires the state’s Department of
Developmental Services to contract with regional centers to provide services for
people with developmental disabilities, including autism
2. AB1954 Prevents patients from needing a referral to see a reproductive health care
provider
3. AB2024 Eases hiring restrictions for critical-care and rural hospitals to expand
access
4. SB999 Requires public and private health plans to cover and dispense hormonal
birth control for up to 12 months, eliminating the need for women to get refills every
30 or 90 days
5. SB 1135 Provides for notice of timely access to care
6. SB 1365 Requires hospitals to notify patients scheduled in hospital-based
outpatient clinics when services are available in a non-hospital location to reduce
the potential of steering patients to a certain facility in which the hospital has a
financial interest.
