CaliforniaAlternative birth centers: licensing and Medi-Cal reimbursement.
What it does
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various types of clinics, including alternative birth centers, by the State Department of Public Health, and makes a violation of those provisions a crime. Existing law defines an alternative birth center as a clinic that is not part of a hospital and that provides comprehensive perinatal services and delivery care to pregnant women who remain less than 24 hours at the facility. Existing law requires a licensed alternative birth center specialty clinic, and a licensed primary care clinic that provides services as an alternative birth center, to meet certain criteria, including, among others, being located in proximity to a facility with the capacity for management of obstetrical and neonatal emergencies, as specified.
More detail
Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets forth certain criteria for Medi-Cal reimbursement to alternative birth centers for facility-related delivery costs.
Under existing law, as a criterion under both the licensing provisions and the Medi-Cal reimbursement provisions described above, the facility is required to be a provider of comprehensive perinatal services as defined in the Medi-Cal provisions.
This bill would remove, under both sets of criteria, the certification condition of being a provider of comprehensive perinatal services as defined in the Medi-Cal provisions. The bill would require the facility to provide perinatal services that are comprehensive in nature, as specified, consistent with certain standards. The bill would remove the above-described proximity requirement and would instead require a written policy for hospital transfer. The bill would require the policy to include certain requirements relating to, among other things, arrangements for the referral of a complication, arrangements for the transfer of care, provision of medical records, information about the estimated transfer time, and a clear explanation of the facility's overall emergency transfer plan, as specified.
The bill would also make a technical change to an obsolete reference within a related provision.
By creating new requirements for an alternative birth center or a primary care clinic that provides services as an alternative birth center, the violation of which is 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.
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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 11Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 595, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 11Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 16Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 9Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3099.).Major
- Vote recorded AB 55 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 8In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB55 Bonta et al. By Caballero. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 8Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2602.).Passed Senate
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).Minor
- Jun 30In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 12From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jun 11
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Upper
- May 29From 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 7Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Apr 29In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Apr 28Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 1317.)Passed Assembly
- Vote recorded AB 55 Bonta Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- 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 21Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 10Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 9From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 8).Major
- Apr 8
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 26Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Feb 25From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.Major
- Feb 3Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- 2024
- Dec 3From printer. May be heard in committee January 2.
- Dec 2Read first time. To print.Introduced