AB 512

  • California Assembly Bill
  • 2025-2026 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Assembly
  • Passed Assembly Jun 02, 2025
  • Passed Senate Sep 09, 2025
  • Governor

Health care coverage: prior authorization.

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 provides for the regulation of disability insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including pursuant to contracts with various types of managed care plans. Existing law generally authorizes a health care service plan, including a Medi-Cal managed care plan, or disability insurer to use utilization review, under which a licensed physician or a licensed health care professional who is competent to evaluate specific clinical issues may approve, modify, delay, or deny requests for health care services based on medical necessity. For a request prior to or concurrent with the provision of health care services, existing law requires utilization review decisions to be made within 5 business days from the plan's or insurer's receipt of the information reasonably necessary and requested by the plan or insurer to make the determination, or within 72 hours if the enrollee or insured faces an imminent and serious threat to their health or the normal timeframe would be detrimental to their life or health, as specified. This bill would change the timeline for prior or concurrent authorization requests to no more than 3 business days from the plan's or insurer's receipt via electronic submission, or 5 business days from receipt via submission that is not electronic, of the information reasonably necessary and requested by the plan or insurer to make the determination. The bill would require a utilization review decision to be made within 24 hours from receipt of a prior or concurrent authorization request via electronic submission, or 48 hours from receipt via submission that is not electronic, if the enrollee or insured faces an imminent and serious threat to their health or the normal timeframe would be detrimental to their life or health. Because a willful violation of this provision by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would exclude Medi-Cal managed care plans from the above-described timeline changes. 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.

Bill Sponsors (2)

Votes


Actions


Oct 06, 2025

Assembly

Vetoed by Governor.

Assembly

Consideration of Governor's veto pending.

Sep 22, 2025

California State Legislature

Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

Sep 10, 2025

Assembly

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 67. Noes 2. Page 3219.).

Sep 09, 2025

Assembly

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

Senate

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 30. Noes 0. Page 2656.).

Sep 08, 2025

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Sep 05, 2025

Senate

Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

Sep 04, 2025

Senate

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

Aug 29, 2025

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Senate

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 29).

Aug 18, 2025

Senate

In committee: Referred to suspense file.

  • Referral-Committee
suspense file.

Jul 14, 2025

Senate

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Amendment-Passage
  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Jul 10, 2025

Senate

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (July 9).

Jun 11, 2025

Senate

Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on HEALTH.

Jun 03, 2025

Senate

In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

Jun 02, 2025

Assembly

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 1. Page 1834.)

May 27, 2025

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

May 23, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (May 23).

May 14, 2025

Assembly

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  • Referral-Committee
suspense file.

Apr 29, 2025

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Apr 28, 2025

Assembly

Read second time and amended.

Apr 24, 2025

Assembly

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 22).

Apr 21, 2025

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on HEALTH.

Apr 11, 2025

Assembly

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.

Feb 24, 2025

Assembly

Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on HEALTH.

Feb 11, 2025

Assembly

From printer. May be heard in committee March 13.

Feb 10, 2025

Assembly

Read first time. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
AB512 HTML
02/10/25 - Introduced PDF
04/11/25 - Amended Assembly PDF
04/28/25 - Amended Assembly PDF
07/14/25 - Amended Senate PDF
09/04/25 - Amended Senate PDF
09/05/25 - Amended Senate PDF
09/12/25 - Enrolled PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
04/18/25- Assembly Health PDF
05/12/25- Assembly Appropriations PDF
05/28/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
07/07/25- Senate Health PDF
08/15/25- Senate Appropriations PDF
08/29/25- Sen. Floor Analyses PDF
09/08/25- Sen. Floor Analyses PDF
09/10/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF
10/23/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS PDF

Sources

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