Amended in Senate April 24, 2013

Senate Bill No. 800

Introduced by Senator Lara

February 22, 2013

An act to begin delete amend Section 100500 of the Government Code, relating to the California Health Benefit Exchange, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. end delete begin insert add Section 14005.275 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to health. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 800, as amended, Lara. California Health Benefit Exchange: begin delete membership. end delete begin insert outreach services. end insert

begin insert

Existing law creates various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements. These programs include the Healthy Families Program administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and the Medi-Cal program administered by the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law provides for the transition of specified enrollees of the Healthy Families Program to the Medi-Cal program, to the extent that those individuals are otherwise eligible.

end insert begin insert

Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange), and requires the board governing the Exchange to facilitate the purchase of qualified health plans through the Exchange by qualified individuals and small employers by January 1, 2014. Existing law also requires the board to undertake activities necessary to market and publicize the availability of health care coverage and federal subsidies through the Exchange and to undertake outreach and enrollment activities.

end insert begin insert

This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to provide the Exchange with specified contact information of individuals who are not enrolled in Medi-Cal but who are the parents or caretakers of children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program or the Medi-Cal program due to a transition from the Healthy Families Program, as specified, for purposes of assisting the Exchange to conduct outreach to individuals potentially eligible for a state health subsidy program, as defined.

end insert begin delete

Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Exchange, which is governed by a board composed of 5 members, including the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, or his or her designee, 2 members appointed by the Governor, and 2 members appointed by the Legislature in a specified manner. Existing law requires that appointments by the Governor made after January 2, 2011, be subject to confirmation by the Senate.

end delete begin delete

This bill would instead require that the board consist of 7 members, of which 4 would be appointed by the Governor.

end delete begin delete

The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

end delete

Vote:  begin delete ²⁄₃ end delete begin insert majority end insert . Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 14005.275 is added to the end insert begin insert Welfare and
Institutions Code end insert begin insert , end insert immediately following Section 14005.27 begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 14005.275. end insert   

In order to assist the California Health Benefit
Exchange, established pursuant to Title 22 (commencing with
Section 100500) of the Government Code, to conduct outreach to
individuals potentially eligible for a state health subsidy program,
as defined in Section 15926, the department shall provide the
California Health Benefit Exchange, or its designee, with the
names, addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other
contact information, and written and spoken languages of
individuals who are not enrolled in Medi-Cal but are the parents
or caretakers of children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program
or the Medi-Cal program pursuant to Section 14005.27.

end insert

All matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as introduced in the Senate, February 22, 2013. (JR11)