AB 1763: Health care coverage: colorectal cancer: screening and testing.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires individual and group health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies to provide coverage for all generally medically accepted cancer screening tests and requires those contracts and policies to also provide coverage for the treatment of breast cancer. Existing law requires an individual or small group health care service plan contract or insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2014, to, at a minimum, include coverage for essential health benefits, which include preventive services, pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

This bill would require a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy, except as specified, that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2018, to provide coverage without cost sharing for colorectal cancer screening examinations and laboratory tests, as specified. The bill would require the coverage to include additional colorectal cancer screening examinations as listed by the United States Preventive Services Task Force as a recommended screening strategy and at least at the frequency established pursuant to regulations issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the Medicare program if the individual is at high risk for colorectal cancer. The bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or a health insurance policy from imposing cost sharing on an individual who is between 50 and 75 years of age for colonoscopies conducted for specified purposes. The bill would also provide that it does not require a plan or insurer to provide benefits for items or services delivered by an out-of-network provider and does not preclude a plan or insurer from imposing cost-sharing requirements for items or services that are delivered by an out-of-network provider. Because a willful violation of the bills requirements relative to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.