AB 1520

Bill Subjects

Abstract

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. Existing law requires individual and group health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for the screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer, when medically necessary and consistent with good professional practice. Existing law specifies that it does not prevent the application of deductible or copayment provisions for those services. Existing law requires an individual or small group health care service plan contract or health insurance policy to, at a minimum, include coverage for essential health benefits, which include preventive services, pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2022, from applying a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance to coverage for specified screening services for prostate cancer for an enrollee or insured who is 55 years of age or older or is 40 years of age or older and is high risk, as determined by their health care provider. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements relative to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.