AB 1954: Health care coverage: reproductive health care services.

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 provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance.

This bill would prohibit every health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, renewed, or delivered on or after January 1, 2017, with exceptions, from requiring an enrollee or insured to receive a referral in order to receive reproductive or sexual health care services, as provided. Because a willful violation of these provisions by a health care service plan 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.