CaliforniaStudent health insurance.
What it does
Existing law, for policy years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, requires student health insurance coverage, as defined, to be considered individual health insurance coverage. Existing law, except as specified, requires a blanket disability insurance policy that meets the definition of student health insurance coverage to comply with insurance provisions that are applicable to nongrandfathered individual health insurance, including, among others, essential health benefits requirements and annual limits on out-of-pocket expenses. Existing law exempts student health insurance coverage from certain requirements otherwise applicable to health insurers and health benefit plans, including the establishment of specified enrollment periods, guaranteed availability and renewability, specified coverage level requirements, and single risk pool rating requirements.
More detail
Existing law requires a notice to be provided in the student health insurance enrollment materials stating that California requires residents and their dependents to obtain and maintain health coverage, either through student health insurance, or through a different method, including Medi-Cal, Covered California, or, if under 26 years of age, their parent's coverage.
This bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, authorize a student certificate holder to request to terminate their student health insurance coverage during the policy year if the student graduates, takes a leave of absence, or is no longer enrolled at the institution of higher education. The bill would require the request to be provided to the institution of higher education at least 30 days before the effective date of termination and would, upon receipt of the request to terminate coverage, require the institution to terminate coverage effective within the same calendar month if feasible, but no later than the last day of the calendar month in which the 30-day period ends. The bill would authorize the student to pay only the premium through the date of the termination, as specified. The bill would require a student or dependent of a student to be notified of premium liability to them, if any, if they choose not to terminate coverage pursuant to these provisions. The bill would, commencing July 1, 2026, if a student requests a waiver from student health insurance coverage, require the waiver to be granted if the student obtains or maintains health coverage that is minimum essential coverage, as specified. The bill would prohibit charging the student a fee or premium if the waiver is granted.
Existing law requires a health insurer to file with the Department of Insurance all required rate information for grandfathered individual and specified group health insurance policies at least 120 days before implementing any rate change.
This bill would authorize the department to prohibit a requested rate change if the insurer fails to comply with the above-described timelines.
This bill would also authorize the Insurance Commissioner to exercise their existing authority to enforce the above-described provisions and prohibits an administrative penalty, if assessed, from exceeding $5,000 for each violation, or $10,000 for a willful violation. The bill would also state the intent of the Legislature to encourage self-funded student health coverage offered by the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan and the University of California Voluntary Dependent Plan to maintain or exceed coverage standards of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to comply with the above described provisions.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 3Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 272, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 3Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 2Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.To Governor
- Aug 25Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 2725.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 594 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 17In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded Consent Calendar 2nd AB594 Solache et al. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 17Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 35. Noes 0. Page 2137.).Passed Senate
- Jul 15Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jul 14From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Jul 7From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jun 26Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 26Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Jun 25From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 24In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Jun 23Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 19From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 18).Major
- Jun 18
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Judiciary] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 9From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Major
- May 21Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.Minor
- May 8In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 594 Solache Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- May 8Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 1477.)Passed Assembly
- Apr 24Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 9Coauthors revised.
- Apr 8
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 28Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Mar 27From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 17Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Mar 13From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 13Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Feb 13From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.
- Feb 12Read first time. To print.Introduced