AB 2589, as amended, Gomez. Lactation services and equipment.
Existing law provides for the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program) administered by the State Department of Public Health and counties, under which nutrition and other assistance is provided to eligible low-income postpartum and lactating women, infants, and children under 5 years of age.
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services, including breastfeeding services, are provided to qualified low-income persons. Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to streamline and simplify existing Medi-Cal program procedures in order to improve access to lactation supports and breast pumps among Medi-Cal recipients.
This
bill would require the State Department of Public Health to coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services to develop processes, procedures, and an electronic interface for eligibility-related information sharing to streamline enrollment into the WICbegin delete Program,end deletebegin insert Programend insert as part of the application process for Medi-Cal and health plans offered through the California Health Benefit Exchange. The bill would require the State Department of Public Health to coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services, through a stakeholder engagement process, as specified, to develop measures and outcomes forbegin delete breastfeeding,end deletebegin insert breastfeeding rates,end insert
as specified.begin delete No later than January 1, 2018, and every 5 years thereafter, the bill would require the
State Department of Public Health to coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services, through a stakeholder engagement process, as specified, to develop and update minimum breast pump and accessory equipment standards for the provision of appropriate and effective breast pumps and accessories.end deletebegin insert The bill would require the recommendations from the stakeholder engagement process to be posted on the departments’ Internet Web sites by January 1, 2018.end insert
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 123362 is added to the Health and Safety
2Code, to read:
The State Department of Public Health shall coordinate
4with the State Department of Health Care Services to develop
5processes, procedures, and an electronic interface for
6eligibility-related information sharing to streamline enrollment
7into the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
8Women, Infants, and Children, known as the WIC Program, as
9part of the application process for Medi-Cal and health plans
10offered through the California Health Benefit Exchange established
11under Title 22 (commencing with Section 100500) of the
12Government Code.
Section 123363 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
14to read:
(a) The State Department of Public Health shall
16coordinate with the State Department of Health Care Services,
17through a stakeholder engagement process that shall include, but
18not be limited to, representatives from health care providers,
19primary care clinics, and health plans, state and local staff from
20the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
P3 1Infants, and Children (WIC Program) and the Maternal, Child and
2Adolescent Health program, and representatives from organizations
3representing women, infants, and children,begin delete to doend deletebegin insert to, beginning
4prenatally and continuing
through the postpartum period and at
5least until the infant reaches one year of age, develop measures
6and outcomes for breastfeeding rates that doend insert both of the following:
7(1) With respect to prenatal care, develop measures and
8outcomes for breastfeeding that shall include, at a minimum,
9women’s intention to breastfeed, including ethnic
diversity.
10(2) After birth and following discharge from the hospital or
11other birthing location, develop measures and outcomes for
12breastfeeding that shall include, at a minimum, initiation, duration,
13exclusivity, and ethnic disparities.
14(b) No later than January 1, 2018, and every five years thereafter,
15the State Department of Public Health shall coordinate with the
16State Department of Health Care Services, through a stakeholder
17engagement process that shall include, but not be limited to,
18representatives from health care providers, health plans, and
19primary care clinics, lactation consultants and specialists, state and
20local staff from the WIC Program, and representatives of
21manufacturers and distributors of breast pumps and accessories,
22to develop and update minimum breast pump and accessory
23equipment standards for the provision of appropriate and effective
24breast pumps and
accessories, taking into account the current
25reimbursement rates for durable medical equipment related to
26breastfeeding, including any potential need to modify the
27reimbursement rates.
28
(1) Include, at a minimum, women’s intention to breastfeed,
29breastfeeding initiation rates, and exclusivity and duration.
30
(2) Identify ethnic disparities and sociodemographic differences.
31
(b) The stakeholder process shall take no longer than six months
32and the recommendations shall be posted on the departments’
33Internet Web sites by January 1, 2018.
O
96