BILL NUMBER: AB 1162	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 14, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 1, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 23, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Holden

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2015

   An act to add Section 14134.25 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1162, as amended, Holden. Medi-Cal: tobacco cessation.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by
the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic
health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons.
The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal
Medicaid provisions. Existing law provides for a schedule of benefits
under the Medi-Cal program. Existing law requires that preventive
services assigned a grade of A or B by the United States Preventive
Services Task Force be provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries without any
cost sharing by the beneficiary in order for the state to receive
increased federal contributions for those services, as specified.
   This bill would provide that tobacco cessation services are
covered benefits under the Medi-Cal  program and 
 program,  would require that those services include, at a
minimum,  unlimited   4  quit 
attempts,   attempts per year,  and would also
require tobacco cessation services to include at least 4 counseling
sessions per quit attempt and a 90-day treatment regimen of any
medication approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for
tobacco cessation that is covered under the Medi-Cal program as of
January 1, 2015.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 14134.25 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   14134.25.  (a) Tobacco cessation services are covered benefits
under the Medi-Cal program and shall, at a minimum, include 
unlimited   four  quit  attempts, 
 attempts per year,  with no required break between
attempts, for beneficiaries of any age who use tobacco.
   (b) For purposes of this section, tobacco cessation services shall
include:
   (1) At least four tobacco cessation counseling sessions per quit
attempt, which may be conducted in person or by telephone and
individually or as part of a group, at the beneficiary's option.
   (2)  (A)    A 90-day treatment regimen of any
medication approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for
tobacco cessation, including prescription and over-the-counter
medications.  A  
   (B) At least one prescription medication and all over-the-counter
medications shall be available without prior authorization. 
    (C)     A  prescription from a
provider with authority to prescribe and proof of Medi-Cal coverage
shall be sufficient documentation to fill a prescription for
over-the-counter tobacco cessation medications.  The

    (D)     Except as provided in subparagraph
(B),  coverage described in this paragraph shall not be subject
to any barriers, requirements, or  restrictions, including,
but not limited to, prior authorization. This  
restrictions. 
    (E)     This  paragraph shall apply to
medications approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration and
that are covered under the Medi-Cal program as of January 1, 2015.
   (c) Beneficiaries who are covered under this section shall not be
required to receive a particular form of tobacco cessation service as
a condition of receiving any other form of tobacco cessation
service.