Public Health

AB 467 (Stone) – Support
As Amended on January 7, 2014

AB 467, by Assembly Member Mark Stone, would allow the California State Board of Pharmacy to license a surplus medication collection and distribution intermediary, with rigid standards and safeguards to ensure the efficiency and safety of county Pharmaceutical Repository and Distribution Programs (SB 1329 by Senator Joe Simitian, Chapter 709, Statutes of 2012).

CSAC supported SB 1329 and supports AB 467 to further clarify technical portions of Pharmaceutical Repository and Distribution Programs. The Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee passed AB 467 on January 13, and the Senate Appropriations Committee passed it on January 21. It is now on the Senate Floor.

Affordable Care Act

SB 508 (Hernandez) – Support
As Amended January 9, 2014

SB 508, by Senator Ed Hernandez, would make necessary changes to the statutory framework for California’s implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). The measure is a follow-up to SBX1 1 (Hernandez and Steinberg, Chapter 4, Statutes of 2013) and ABX1 1 (Perez, Chapter 3, Statutes of 2013).

Specifically, SB 508 would codify the new federal income standards – utilizing modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) rules – established by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for determining Medi-Cal eligibility. SB 508 ensures California statutes accurately reflect how the Administration has defined the MAGI standards for purposes of eligibility of various groups.

Additionally, the measure would extend Medi-Cal benefits to independent foster care adolescents. SB 508 would ensure that foster youth who lose foster care eligibility due to having reached the maximum age for assistance would still be able to get Medicaid coverage up to age 26. Recent state law changes allow youth to remain in care beyond age 18, up to age 21. As a result, youth are leaving care at various ages. SB 508 ensures that these youth are treated equally for purposes of ongoing eligibility for Medi-Cal benefits. SB 508 also streamlines eligibility by deleting the deprivation requirement for parent or caretaker relatives.

SB 508 was heard and passed in the Senate Appropriations on January 21, and it is now on the Senate Floor. 

In-Home Supportive Services

AB 485 (Gomez) – Watch
As Amended September 6, 2013

AB 485, by Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez, would de-link the Statewide Authority for collective bargaining for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers from the Coordinated Care Initiative and accelerate the movement of collective bargaining from the local level to the state. It is sponsored by labor organizations.

AB 485 was amended the last day of the Legislature’s first year of the session in September 2013, and the Brown Administration opposed the measure at that time. While the Senate Health Committee passed the measure with amendments on January 16, the Senate Appropriations Committee placed it on the Suspense File on January 21. However, it moved off of the Suspense File yesterday (January 23). We will keep counties updated on any amendments or changes as it moves to the Senate Floor.