BILL NUMBER:  AB 50
  VETOED	DATE: 10/09/2013




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

Assembly Bill 50 would provide "full-scope" health care coverage for
pregnant women between 60 and 100 percent of federal poverty level,
during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, if they
otherwise meet Medi-Cal eligibility requirements. Currently, pregnant
women in this and higher income groups (up to 200 percent of the
federal poverty level), receive all medically necessary services
related to their pregnancy.

While I support this policy, I can't support this bill.

Through the 2013 Budget Act and AB 1 and SB 1 in this year's special
session, we enacted a historic expansion of our state's Medi-Cal
program. Many trade-offs were made in determining our ultimate policy
direction. Expanding coverage options for pregnant women, however,
remained unresolved.

Rather than enacting a piecemeal change, further discussion should
take place on the entire category of pregnancy-only coverage, not
just women between 60-100 percent of the federal poverty level.

The development of the 2014-15 budget is underway. I am directing the
Department of Health Care Services to work on a more complete
proposal for January.


Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.