BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1696
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
1696 (Holden)
As Amended August 15, 2016
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |63-14 |(June 2, 2016) |SENATE: |29-8 |(August 16, |
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Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY: Requires Medi-Cal to cover tobacco cessation services.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that the tobacco cessation services covered under
Medi-Cal be subject to utilization controls.
2)Requires tobacco cessation services to include all
intervention recommendations assigned a grade A or B by the
United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
3)Requires tobacco cessation services to include the following:
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a) Four quit attempts based on medical necessity and
consistent with the USPSTF grade A and B recommendations,
with no required break between attempts, for all
beneficiaries 18 years of age or older who use tobacco;
and,
b) For beneficiaries under 18 years of age, be provided
services in accordance with the American Academy of
Pediatrics guidelines, Bright Futures periodicity schedules
and anticipatory guidance, as periodically updated as well
as services both assigned a grade A or B by the USPSTF;
c) At least four tobacco cessation counseling sessions per
quit attempt, as specified, at the option of the
beneficiary; and,
d) A tobacco cessation regimen of any medication approved
by the federal Food and Drug Administration and that is a
covered Medi-Cal benefit for tobacco cessation, including
prescription and over-the-counter medications in accordance
with the USPSTF grade A and B recommendations.
4)Specifies that beneficiaries who are covered under this bill
shall not be required to receive a particular form of tobacco
cessation service as a condition of receiving any form or
tobacco cessation service.
5)Requires the Department of Health Care Services to seek any
federal approvals necessary to implement the provisions of
this bill.
The Senate amendments clarify that the quit attempts covered
under this bill to be based on medical necessity and consistent
with USPSTF grade A and B recommendations, and limit the
application of tobacco cessation services to be provided to
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those that are covered as a Medi-Cal benefit.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, minor costs to the Medi-Cal program (General Fund and
federal funds). The author's amendments largely conform the
requirements of the bill to existing Medi-Cal policy for smoking
cessation services.
COMMENTS: According to the author, quitting tobacco products is
a difficult feat that many individuals attempt every year with
little success on their own. The author states tobacco products
can cause cancer, respiratory and heart diseases, and birth
defects, and their use is still the leading preventable cause of
death in the United States. The author contends that though the
dangers of smoking are better understood now than 50 years ago,
cigarettes are addictive and smoking rates in the Medi-Cal
population are still too high. The author asserts this bill
provides smokers with the tools necessary to fight their
addiction to tobacco products by mandating Medi-Cal coverage to
clinically proven treatments. The author maintains that studies
have shown that the comprehensive coverage of these treatments
has led to decreases in the population of smokers. The author
concludes that the state must remove all barriers to treatments
that make quitting the use of tobacco products possible.
Analysis Prepared by:
Rosielyn Pulmano / HEALTH / (916) 319-2097 FN:
0004132
AB 1696
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