CaliforniaHospital pricing.
What it does
Existing law requires a hospital to provide patients with a written notice containing information about the availability of the hospital's discount payment and charity care policies, including information about eligibility and the contact information for a hospital employee or office from which a person may obtain further information about these policies. Existing law defines "charity care" and "discount payment" for these purposes. Existing law requires a hospital to provide to the Department of Health Care Access and Information a copy of its discount payment policy, charity care policy, eligibility procedures for those policies, review process, and the application for charity care or discounted payment programs, among other information.
More detail
A violation of these provisions results in an administrative penalty, as specified.
This bill would, commencing July 1, 2027, require a hospital to screen a patient to determine if they meet specific criteria, including that the patient is enrolled in CalFresh or CalWORKs, and, if they do, presumptively determine that a patient is eligible for participation under the hospital's charity care policy and discount payment policy. The bill would require a hospital to screen a patient for eligibility if the patient meets other specified criteria, including, among others, that the patient is uninsured. The bill would prohibit a hospital from requiring a patient to apply for the federal Medicare program, the Medi-Cal program, or other coverage before the patient is screened for or provided with discounted payment, as specified. The bill would require a hospital to provide patients with the ability to opt out of the screening process through a specified form. The bill would authorize a hospital, at its discretion or as established in its charity care policy or discount payment policy, to make presumptive determinations of eligibility or to conduct screening for patients that do not meet the criteria described above. The bill would authorize certain procedures and tools for screening, including, among others, allowing a hospital to use third-party software tools or services or to contract with a third party under specified conditions. The bill would require a hospital to provide a specified written notice to those patients determined to be eligible, presumptively or otherwise, under these provisions and would prohibit any billing statements from being sent prior to the written notice. The bill would require the billing statements to reflect the adjustments made to the patient's hospital charges under the hospital's charity care policy or discount payment policy.
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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 7Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 450, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 7Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 16Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 10
- Vote recorded AB 1312 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 9Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 62. Noes 16. Page 3123.).Major
- Sep 8In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading AB1312 Schiavo By Pérez. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 8Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 27. Noes 8. Page 2625.).Passed Senate
- Sep 4Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 3Read 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 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).Minor
- Aug 18In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 21Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 21From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (July 16).Major
- Jul 16
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jul 8From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.Major
- Jun 11Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Jun 3In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 1312 Schiavo Assembly Third Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 2Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1933.)Passed Assembly
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Lower
- May 14In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.Minor
- May 5Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- May 1Read second time and amended.Major
- Apr 30From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 3.) (April 29).Major
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 13Referred to Com. on HEALTH.Minor
- Feb 24Read first time.Minor
- Feb 22From printer. May be heard in committee March 24.
- Feb 21Introduced. To print.Introduced