Question

What are some proposals that the California state governor released about the healthcare access problem?

Answer 1

The proposals that the California state governor released about the healthcare access problem mainly involve preventing premiums spikes from the reneging on cost-sharing reductions. The other proposals include:

1. Extending continuity of care protections to the individual market:
The Governor signed SB 133 (Hernandez), which ensures continuity of care for people who are in the middle of treatment or awaiting surgery, allowing them to keep their doctors and hospitals for up to a year if their health coverage changes through no fault of their own.

2. Ensuring contraceptive coverage as a basic benefit:
California Governance requires state-regulated health plans to cover contraceptives as a no-cost preventive service. However, about six million Californians who get coverage from self-insured employers are not covered by state protections.

3. Maintaining a 3-month open enrollment period:
California Government maintains a 3-month open enrollment period for consumers to sign up for coverage, so that California consumers will be able to sign up for coverage within the specified time period.
4. Investing in marketing and outreach:
California Government has raised its own marketing and enrollment budget, and has recommitted to an aggressive effort to get as many Californians covered as possible, to the benefit of everybody.

5. Protecting California’s ability to keep junk insurance out of our state:
California law regulates and limits both association health plans and short-term insurance, and additional state action to strengthen these patient protections could potentially close the loopholes that the Trump executive order seeks to open.

Additionally, California policymakers continue to be proactive in protecting patients and the public, and remain vigilant against additional attacks.