LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1088, as amended, Price. Health care coverage: dependents.
Existing law, the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act, requires a health insurance issuer issuing group or individual
coverage that provides dependent coverage of children to continue to
make that coverage available for an adult child until the child
attains 26 years of age with respect to plan years beginning on or
after September 23, 2010. Regulations promulgated under that
provision require issuers to provide certain dependents who have lost
or been denied coverage an opportunity to enroll, as specified.
Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975
(Knox-Keene Act), provides for the licensure and regulation of health
care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and
makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also
provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of
Insurance. Existing law requires that every health care service plan
contract or group health insurance policy that provides for
termination of coverage of a dependent child upon attainment of the
limiting age for dependent children shall also provide that
attainment of the limiting age shall not terminate the coverage of a
child under certain conditions.
This bill would prohibit the limiting age for dependent children
covered by health care service plan contracts and health insurance
policies from being less than 26 years of age with respect to plan or
policy years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, except for
certain group contracts and policies for plan or policy years
beginning before January 1, 2014, as specified. The bill would
require plans and insurers to provide certain dependents who have
lost or been denied coverage an opportunity to enroll, as specified.
Because this bill would specify additional requirements under the
Knox-Keene Act, the willful violation of which would be a crime, this
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.
Comments/questions on SB 1088 (Price): Health care coverage: dependents.
