AB 1450

Bill Subjects

Behavioral Health Behavioral Health And Wellness Screenings Notice

Abstract

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California. Existing law requires the board, in determining its continuing education requirements, to consider including a course in integrating mental and physical health care in primary care settings, especially as it pertains to early identification of mental health issues and exposure to trauma in children and young adults and their appropriate care and treatment. Existing law requires a physician and surgeon to provide notice to patients at an initial office visit regarding a specified database. Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health to license and regulate health facilities, including general acute care hospitals. A violation of those provisions is generally a crime. Existing law requires a general acute care hospital to establish and adopt written policies and procedures to screen patients who are 12 years of age and older for purposes of detecting a risk for suicidal ideation and behavior. 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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. This bill would require a physician and surgeon, a general acute care hospital, a health care service plan, and a health insurer to provide to each legal guardian of a patient, enrollee, or insured, 10 to 18 years of age, a written or electronic notice regarding the benefits of a behavioral health and wellness screening. The bill would require the providers to provide the notice at least once every 2 years in the preferred method of the legal guardian. Because a violation of the bill's requirements relative to health care service plans and health facilities would be crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires a Medi-Cal managed care plan, no later than January 1, 2025, to conduct annual outreach and education for its enrollees, based on a plan that the Medi-Cal managed care plan develops and submits to the department, as specified, regarding the mental health benefits that are covered by the Medi-Cal managed care plan. This bill would require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to include the above-described notice requirement in their outreach and education plan. 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.