California Health Benefit Review Program: extension.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on what happens after July 1, 2033.

Extending Health Benefit Review Program

This law extends and updates the California Health Benefit Review Program, which assesses new health insurance laws to see how they might affect costs.

What This Bill Does

• Stretches out the operation of the California Health Benefit Review Program from its original end date in 2027 to July 1, 2033.
• Increases the yearly charge on health insurance companies and plans from $2.2 million to $3.2 million for the years 2026-2033.
• Removes the Healthy Families Program as an example of publicly funded state health insurance programs in financial impact analyses.

Who It Names or Affects

• Health insurance companies and plans

Terms To Know

California Health Benefit Review Program

A program run by the University of California that assesses new health insurance laws to see how they might affect costs.

Health Care Benefits Fund

A fund used to support the work of the California Health Benefit Review Program.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what will happen after July 1, 2033.
• It requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature to pass.

Official Summary Text

SB 439, Weber Pierson.
California Health Benefit Review Program: extension.
Existing law establishes the Health Care Benefits Fund to support the University of California’s implementation of the California Health Benefit Review Program. Under the program, the University of California assesses legislation proposing to repeal or mandate a benefit or service requirement on health care insurance plans or health insurers. Under the program, the University of California provides a written analysis that includes, among other data, financial impacts of legislation on publicly funded state health insurance programs, including the Medi-Cal program and the Healthy Families Program. Existing law imposes an annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for the 2022–23 to 2026–27 fiscal years, inclusive, as specified, to be deposited into the fund. Existing law prohibits the total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers from
exceeding $2,200,000. Under existing law, the fund and the program become inoperative on July 1, 2027, and are repealed as of January 1, 2028.
This bill would extend the operation of the California Health Benefit Review Program and the Health Care Benefits Fund through July 1, 2033, and would authorize the continued assessment of the annual charge on health care service plans and health insurers for that purpose for the 2026–27 to 2032–33 fiscal years, inclusive. The bill would increase the allowable total annual assessment on health care service plans and health insurers to $3,200,000. The bill would remove the Healthy Families Program as an example of the publicly funded state health insurance programs within an analysis of financial impacts of legislation.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2033, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2034.
This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of
2
/
3
of the membership of each house of the Legislature.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF