BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 916
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Date of Hearing: April 6, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 916 (V. Manuel Perez) - As Introduced: February 18, 2011
Policy Committee: HealthVote:13-5
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Department of Public Health to
assess grant opportunities in the federal Affordable Care Act
(health reform law) related to promotores or (Community Health
Workers (CHWs) and report on this assessment to the Legislature.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor absorbable costs for DPH to provide a report to the
Legislature.
COMMENTS
1) Rationale. According to the author, programs using CHWs
are effective in linking underserved and diverse
populations with needed health care, and funding directed
to this purpose would increase access to care and improve
the health status of these populations. This bill requires
DPH to conduct an assessment of grant opportunities and
make recommendations on how to maximize federal grant
funding for CHWs, with the intent to help California access
this funding.
2) Federal Health Reform . The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act (ACA) (PL-111-148), contains several
provisions aimed at preventing disease and promoting
healthy lifestyles, goals well-aligned with the work of
promotores. A total of $15 billion (federal) is contained
in the reform legislation to support "prevention and
wellness" efforts such as obesity reduction and chronic
disease management. Another provision of the legislation
AB 916
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provides federal grants to promote positive health
behaviors and outcomes for populations in medically
underserved communities through the use of CHWs. DPH
currently reviews and assesses these and other federal
grant opportunities that focus on improving population
health.
3) CHWs are individuals who provide health information in a
culturally competent manner, educate about the health care
system, and seek to improve access to services. CHWs live
in the communities in which they work, understand what is
meaningful to their community, speak the language of
community members, and recognize and incorporate
traditional health practices.
4) Related Legislation . AB 2354 (V. Manuel Perez) in 2010
contained the same provisions as this bill and required
DPH, in consultation with the University of California, to
conduct an inventory of the existing programs related to
the use of CHWs in California. This bill was held on
Suspense in Senate Appropriations.
ACR 75 (V. Manuel Perez), Resolution Chapter 125, Statutes
of 2009, declared October 2009 as California Promotores
Month and encouraged policies and programs that enhance the
status and integration of promotores in the delivery of
health care.
AB 898 (Saldana) in 2007, which required DPH to administer
a three year- pilot program for grants to school health
centers using a promotores model to provide nutrition
education, was held on Suspense in this committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081