California Assembly Bill AB2345 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2345AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 18, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas FEBRUARY 18, 2016 An act to add  and repeal  Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 127650)  to  of  Part 2 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2345, as amended, Ridley-Thomas. Commission on Health Care Cost Review. Existing law establishes various programs relating to health policy and planning in this state. Existing law establishes the California Health Benefit Review Program to assess legislation that proposes to mandate or repeal a mandated health benefit or service, as defined, and to prepare a written analysis with relevant data on specified information, including public health impacts and financial impacts. This bill would establish the Commission on Health Care Cost Review to study and report every 2 years to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Health on public policies affecting health care costs and access to health care coverage in California. The commission would be comprised of 5 members, with 3 members appointed by the Governor, one member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, subject to 4-year terms. The bill would authorize the Department of Managed Health Care to accept voluntary contributions to be deposited into the Health Care Affordability Fund, which the bill would create in the State Treasury, to fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the costs of the operation of the commission. The bill would provide that the implementation of these provisions is contingent upon a determination of the department that sufficient voluntary contributions exist or will exist in the Health Care Affordability Fund.  The bill would repeal these provisions on either January 1, 2020, if the department does not, by December 31, 2019, notify the Legislature that it has received sufficient voluntary contributions to fund the costs of operation of the commission, or on January 1, 2   025, if the department, by December 31, 2019, notifies   the Legislature that it has received sufficient voluntary contributions to fund the costs of operation of the commission. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 127650) is added to Part 2 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: CHAPTER 6. COMMISSION ON HEALTH CARE COST REVIEW 127650. The Commission on Health Care Cost Review is hereby created. 127651. (a) The commission shall consist of five members. Three members shall be appointed by the Governor, one member shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Each member shall serve a term of four years. (b) Members of the commission shall not receive compensation. The commission may conduct virtual meetings. 127652. (a) The commission shall study and analyze public policies affecting health care costs and access to health care coverage in California. (b) (1) The commission shall report its findings to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Health every two years. (2) A report submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. 127653. (a) The Department of Managed Health Care may accept voluntary contributions to pay for the costs of operation of the commission established under this chapter. These voluntary contributions shall be deposited into the Health Care Affordability Fund, which is hereby created in the State Treasury. The moneys in the Health Care Affordability Fund  shall be   are  available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of funding the costs of the operation of the commission.  No state   State  funds shall not  be used to fund the operation of the commission established under this chapter. (b) The implementation of this chapter  shall be   is  contingent upon a determination by the Department of Managed Health Care that sufficient voluntary contributions exist or will exist in the Health Care Affordability Fund. Upon making this  determination   determination,  the Department of Managed Health Care shall notify the Legislature that sufficient voluntary contributions exist or will exist in the Health Care Affordability Fund.  127654. (a) If the Department of Managed Health Care does not, by December 31, 2019, notify the Legislature that it has received sufficient voluntary contributions to fund the costs of operation of the commission established under this chapter, this chapter shall be repealed on January 1, 2020. (b) If the Department of Managed Health Care, by December 31, 2019, notifies the Legislature that it has received sufficient voluntary contributions to fund the costs of operation of the commission established under this chapter, this chapter shall be repealed on January 1, 2025.