Health bills teed up for California’s 2021 legislative session Emily Boerger | Dec 14, 2020
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Looking ahead to California’s 2021 legislative session, lawmakers across the state have already introduced over 200 bills covering a broad range of issues. As the list continues to grow, here are several health-related bills we’ll be watching come January.
Effective January 1, 2022, AB 4 would extend full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to all income-eligible individuals, regardless of age and immigration status. Last year, the legislature prioritized extending benefits to undocumented people over the age of 65, but the start date was delayed due to the budgetary impacts of COVID-19. Another pre-filed bill, SB 56, would delete the provisions delaying implementation for those 65 years of age or older.
California’s budget outlook for the upcoming year is uncertain, according to California Assembly Budget Committee Chair Phil Ting. During the “Reviewing the FY2022 Budget Scenario” panel at State of Reform’s Southern California Virtual Health Policy Conference, Ting said the state currently has $11 billion in surplus, but he is still unsure what the budget will look like at the end of the year.
During the conversation, Ting was joined by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, MD, Chair of the Assembly Budget Sub-Committee on Health and Human Services, and Jedd Hampton, Legislative Advocate for the California Association of Health Plans (CAHP).
Ting wants to provide funding to vulnerable populations and give stimulus money to people who need it most.
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