Insurance

Automobile Insurance
Health Insurance
Earthquake Insurance
Miscellaneous

Automobile Insurance

SB 519 (Lewis-R) Automobile insurance: limited coverage policies

Allows an insurer to issue a policy of auto insurance that exclusively covers the named insured, and does not cover any other person whatsoever, including, but not limited to, any person using the motor vehicle with the insured's express or implied permission.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 863 (Peace-D) Rental cars: insurance

Prohibits a rental company from renting a passenger vehicle to any person, unless that person provides evidence of financial responsibility applicable to the vehicle to be rented, or that person purchases a financial responsibility policy from the rental company or any authorized agent at the time of rental, as specified.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 944 (Johnson-R) Vehicles

Makes a number of revisions in third-party actions and involving bodily injury, limits fees that health care providers may charge, revises law requiring exchange of certain information between drivers at the scene of an accident, reduces liability insurance policy on bond amounts, and allows an insurer to offer, as a policy action, coverage only to the named insured.

(Died in Senate Judiciary Committee)

SB 1026 (Karnette-D) Proof of financial responsibility

Makes it a misdemeanor to make, sell, or use false documentation as evidence of proof of financial responsibility, as required by the Vehicle Code.

(Died in Assembly Public Safety Committee)

SB 1731 (Lewis-R) California Assigned Risk Plan

Establishes new statutory rules for the assigned risk plan responsibilities of auto liability insurers who discontinue selling insurance in California.

Chapter 175, Statutes of 2000

SB 1988 (Speier-D) Insurance fraud

Establishes the Anti-Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Act of 2000. Requires the Bureau of Automotive Repair to undertake a pilot program to inspect auto body work on insured vehicles to determine whether fraud was committed as specified. Targets and invokes penalties, fees and civil charges for a variety of licensed professionals, including chiropractors, lawyers and physicians convicted of insurance fraud. Appropriates $100,000 from the Vehicle Inspectors and Repair Fund for the pilot project. Allows the State Insurance Commissioner to disclose any region of the state an auto insurance fraud crisis area. Allows the commissioner to develop a public education company to deter participation in auto insurance fraud and encourage reporting of fraudulent claims. Double-joined with AB 2584..

Chapter 867, Statutes of 2000

SB 1996 (Speier-D) Financial responsibility

Allows the director of the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to approve the use of alternative reporting forms for verifying insurance coverage, increases the types of information that could be used as evidence of proof of insurance and requires certain dealers to provide written notification to transferees, in Spanish and in English, that they cannot legally drive without some form of liability insurance. Requires the DMV to make the above-mentioned notification available in any other languages used in the most recent statewide voter pamphlet. Double-joined with SB 1403.

Chapter 455, Statutes of 2000

AB 733 (Cox-R) Automobile insurance: fraud assessment

Increases the insurer assessment from $1 to $2 per insured vehicle to increase enforcement efforts to combat auto insurance fraud.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

AB 834 (Cardoza-D) Auto insurance: unlawful conduct

Makes it a felony to produce or sell any false, altered, forged, etc., document of evidence of auto insurance and makes it a misdemeanor to possess such documents or to present them to a peace officer or the State Department of Motor Vehicles.

(Died in Senate Public Safety Committee)

AB 976 (Cardoza-D) Vehicles: liability insurance

Enacts the California Low-Cost Auto Insurance Policy Act of 1999 which allows a person whose household income does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level to satisfy the financial responsibility laws by purchasing a Basic Benefits Auto Insurance Policy.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

AB 1431 (Oller-R) Vehicles: financial responsibility

Requires the State Department of Insurance (DOI) to select random samples of vehicle registrations, not to exceed 15 percent of the total number of vehicles registered, for purposes of verifying in accordance with a procedure involving insurers, whether those vehicles are insured as described in specified provisions relating to vehicle liability policies or bonds. Provides for suspension of an owner's vehicle registration if DOI finds that proof of insurance submitted by a vehicle owner to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, as specified, is false or that the owner has allowed the insurance to lapse.

(Died in Assembly Transportation Committee)

AB 1848 (Maddox-R) Vehicle insurance

Specifies that the law does not prohibit an insurer from inspecting a vehicle for which collision or comprehensive insurance is being issued, but requires an insurer that elects to inspect vehicles prior to issuing insurance to inspect all vehicles, with certain exceptions, and to provide a inspection site within 20 miles of the policyholder.

Chapter 210, Statutes of 2000

AB 2363 (Granlund-R) Nonrepairable vehicle: insurance company

Allows an insurance company, when determining a value for a total loss settlement, to use any source for determining statistically valid fair market values if that source meets specified criteria.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

AB 2904* (Assembly Insurance Committee) Low-cost automobile insurance

Conforms the low-cost auto insurance pilot projects to Proposition 103 requirements by allowing driving experience outside the U.S. and Canada to count towards the three years of driving experience needed for low-cost insurance.

Chapter 1033, Statutes of 2000

Health Insurance

SB 18 (Figueroa-D) Health care: fee disclosures

Requires HMOs to make available to the public criteria for deciding whether to allow or deny health care services. Requires health insurers to have written policies whereby the insurer makes decisions about whether to approve requests for health care services. Specifies that policies are to be developed based on sound clinical principles and criteria, determined by appropriate practitioners, and evaluated and updated on an annual basis.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 92 (Hayden-D) Healthy Families Program

Allows legal immigrant children to be eligible for the Healthy Families Program without regard to date of entry to the United States, when funds are included in the annual Budget Act for this purpose. Modifies eligibility requirements to specify eligibility for those children whose parents are physically present and living in California and living in California after entering the state with a job commitment or to seek employment.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 102 (Solis-D) Healthy Families Program

Increases the Healthy Families Program income eligibility requirements to 250 percent of the federal poverty level and also expands eligibility by applying Medi-Cal income exemptions and deductions.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 107* (Polanco-D) Healthy Families Program

Authorizes the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board under the Healthy Families Program to pay specified individuals and organizations for consumer education purposes. Requires an expanded outreach program to identify eligible children based on the identification of children eligible for free or reduced-cost meals through the federal school lunch program.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 112 (Figueroa-D) Healthy Families Program

Requires the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to arrange for payment of providers who participate in the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program for services that would cover for up to 90 days initial services to CHDP-eligible children.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 168 (Speier-D) Health care service plans: immunizations

Prohibits risk-based contracts between health care service plans and physician groups from requiring a physical group to assume financial risk for the acquisition costs of required childhood immunizations as a condition of accepting the risk-based contract, and requires health plans to reimburse physicians for immunizations at not less than the actual acquisition and reasonable administrative costs of the vaccine.

Chapter 845, Statutes of 2000

SB 169 (Speier-D) Health care service plans

Prohibits contracting with any HMO that participates in federal Medicare managed care in California, but terminated coverage by withdrawal from, or a reduction in, service area. Exempts from this ban plans that offer Medicare managed care throughout the plan's entire proposed contracted service area. The prohibition applies to contracts arranged by the State Public Employees' Retirement System, the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and the California Medical Assistance Commission.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

SB 173 (Alpert-D) Consumer discount health care

Establishes a process for state oversight of consumer discount health care programs including registration of such programs by the Department of Managed Care, as specified.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 195 (Chesbro-D) Health care: small employers

Alters the number of geographic rating regions for a health care service plan in the small employer group health coverage market.

Chapter 389, Statutes of 2000

SB 217 (Baca-D) Health care coverage: surveys

Requires that HMOs conduct annual surveys of plan subscribers and enrollees to identify their satisfaction with the plan, as specified.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 254 (Speier-D) Health insurance: independent review

Establishes an external, independent review system in the State Department of Corporations and the State Department of Insurance to review a decision to deny benefits by a plan or insurer.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 265 (Speier-D) Health care coverage: federally defined eligible individual

Revises existing law to conform to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, including requiring a health care service plan or insurer, as specified, to issue coverage to federally eligible individuals who were previously covered under a group contract for 18 months.

Chapter 810, Statutes of 2000

SB 271 (Speier-D) Health coverage: continuation of coverage

Requires HMOs and health insurers to offer additional coverage to former employees, aged 55, who enroll in the first 18 months of continuation benefits after ending employment. The option allows the former employee to continue coverage until the initiation of Medicare coverage. Allows spouses of separated employees to participate in continuation coverage on the same basis as the employee spouse by removing the current five year limitation on the spouse's access to continuation benefits.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 292 (Figueroa-D) Health care coverage: second opinion

Revises the definition of a qualified health care professional who can request or provide a second opinion to include a licensed health care provider in addition to a primary care physician or specialist.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 337 (Figueroa-D) Health coverage

Prohibits an HMO from expending or allocating more than 15 percent of gross revenues for administrative costs. Applies to plans with fewer than 25,000 covered persons, as specified.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 421 (Figueroa-D) Health care coverage: clinical practice guidelines

Requires, if health care service plans or health insurers develop or use clinical guidelines, that the guidelines are to be based on enumerated criteria specified in the bill.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 422 (Figueroa-D) Health care service plans: prior authorization

Requires health plans to notify patients and physicians, in writing, of decisions to deny or modify prior authorization requests for health care services. Requires denials to include the name and phone number of the health care professional responsible for denial or change.

(Died at Assembly Desk)

SB 468 (Polanco-D) Health care coverage: mental illness

Requires health care service plans and disability insurers to cover mental illness under the same rates, terms and conditions as applied to other medical conditions.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 566 (Escutia-D) Health programs

Requires the State Department of Health Services to develop and establish a certification program for school health centers, and requires the centers to promote enrollment of eligible students in the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs as a condition of certification.

(Died on Senate File)

SB 743 (Escutia-D) Healthy Families Program

Establishes an application tracking mechanism for the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 744 (Escutia-D) Healthy Families Program

Requires that a child's family have a gross annual household income equal to or less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level for purposes of eligibility.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 764 (Senate Insurance Committee) Medicare supplement insurance

Provides for a new organizational framework for existing provisions of state law related to Medicare supplement policies and contracts, and conforms state law with federal law.

Chapter 706, Statutes of 2000

SB 880 (Speier-D) Health care: screening tests

Requires HMOs and health insurers' reimbursement rates for mammography and cervical cancer screening to equal or exceed rates paid by Medi-Cal. Sets Medi-Cal rates for (1) mammography to equal the Medicare rate, and (2) annual cervical cancer screening tests to equal provider costs but not less than $15. Specifies that provider costs estimates can be based on a random cost survey of clinical laboratories.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 898 (Dunn-D) Long-term care policies

Requires group long-term care policies and certificates to be either guaranteed renewable or noncancelable. Requires approval of the State Insurance Commissioner before individual or group long-term care insurance may be offered, sold, issued, or delivered in this state, as specified. Applies to policies and certificates issued on or after July 1, 2002.

Chapter 812, Statutes of 2000

SB 1177 (Perata-D) Health care: unfair payment practices

Revises the dispute resolution process for payment claims for medical services between providers and health care service plans.

Chapter 825, Statutes of 2000

Similar legislation was AB 1455 (Scott-D), which became Chapter 827, Statutes of 2000.

SB 1181 (Polanco-D) Health care service plans: discount programs

Permits a licensed health care plan to offer a health care service discount program. Establishes a process for state oversight of health care discount programs offered by such plans.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1224 (Speier-D) Health coverage: state contractors

Provides that the State Department of General Services require any contractor working on a state services contract with 50 or more employees, regardless of the number of employees who will be working on the contract, to provide health coverage to its employees.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1259 (Brulte-R) Health coverage: dental services

Provides that health care service plans and health insurance policies that cover dental benefits are deemed to cover dental services legally rendered by a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice, as specified.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 1291 (Polanco-D) Healthy Families Program: immunizations

Enacts the California Healthy Families Vaccine Purchase Act under which the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board allocates sufficient funds out of moneys appropriated for purposes of the Healthy Families Program to the State Department of Health Services for the purchase of covered vaccines and for their free-of-charge distribution to qualifying practitioners.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 1456 (Kelley-R) Mental health coverage

Requires health care service plan contracts that provide mental health benefit coverage to include coverage for medically necessary treatment of social anxiety disorders.

(Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee)

SB 1471 (Schiff-D) Health care liens

Provides that no lien asserted by a licensee of the State Department of Managed Care or the State Department of Insurance, and no lien of a medical group or an independent practice association, to the extent it asserts or enforces a lien, for the recovery of money paid or payable to, or on behalf of, an enrollee or insured for medical services provided under a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy, may exceed specified amounts. Specifies that these provisions do not apply to a lien made against a workers' compensation claim, against a third party for Medi-Cal benefits, and for hospital services, as specified. Declares that it does not create any lien right that does not currently exist at law and would not make a lien that arises out of an employee benefit plan or fund enforceable if preempted by federal law. Prohibits its provisions from being admitted into evidence or given in an instruction in any civil action between an enrollee or insured and a third party.

Chapter 848, Statutes of 2000

SB 1732 (Burton-D) Health care providers: preferred rates

Modifies a disclosure requirement whereby worker compensation insurers identify health care networks that have signed agreements with health care providers entitling the insurers to pay discounted rates.

Chapter 1069, Statutes of 2000

SB 1738 (Hayden-D) Health insurance advocacy

Creates the Insurance Policyholder and Patient Association, a nonprofit consumer-based association to protect and advocate on behalf of policyholders and patients regarding insurance and health care issues.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1746 (Figueroa-D) Health care service plans

Requires health care service plans to notify an enrollee within 30 days when terminating a contractual arrangement with a primary care provider. Enrollees can self-refer if they have not chosen or been assigned to a new physician within 30 days. Health plans which offer preferred provider contracts are exempt from the provisions of the bill if an enrollee is not required to select a primary care provider.

Chapter 849, Statutes of 2000

SB 1764 (Chesbro-D) Health care: substance abuse

Requires the Legislative Analyst to review existing data relating to the cost effectiveness of substance abuse treatment parity in health care service plans and disability insurance policies and to report to the Legislature its findings in this regard as well as other information, as specified, pertaining to substance abuse treatment services offered by health care service plans and disability insurance policies. Requires the Legislative Analyst to review information on private resources and organizations statewide that provide alcohol and drug treatment services and to report its findings to the Legislature.

Chapter 305, Statutes of 2000

SB 1814* (Speier-D) Medicare supplement: insurance guide

Requires the State Department of Insurance to annually prepare a Medicare supplement insurance (MSI) rate guide, extends required or MSI open enrollment period to disabled persons eligible for MSI, expands the number of policies that are subject to guaranteed insurance that includes a prescription drug benefit.

Chapter 707, Statutes of 2000

SB 1839 (Speier-D) Health insurance: prostate cancer

Requires health care service plans and disability insurers to provide coverage for specified costs associated with clinical trials provided for life-threatening prostate cancer, as specified.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 1922 (Speier-D) Health care service plans: prescription drugs

Requires a health care service plan that provides a prescription drug benefit to uniformly impose on all pharmacies any limitation on the copayment for, or the supply of, a prescription drug that may be provided to an enrollee or subscriber by a pharmacy.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 1934 (Polanco-D) Health care service plans: arbitration

Requires a health care service plan contract that contains terms concerning mandatory or voluntary arbitration with subscribers or enrollees from imposing limits on the damages that may be awarded in an arbitration that differ from the damages that could otherwise be awarded in a similar dispute decided by a court or jury trial. Provides that a plan contract shall not prohibit a subscriber or enrollee from representation by counsel or from filing a written brief or making a closing argument before the arbitrator. Provides that the same statute of limitations that govern the timeliness of civil actions shall also govern the timeliness of a demand for arbitration.

(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

SB 1993 (Johnston-D) Healthy Families Program: community provider plan

Requires the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, for a two-year period, to designate in each geographic area a community provider or plans that have at least 95 percent of the available traditional safety net providers, as determined by the board, in its provider network, as specified.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 1998 (Senate Public Employment And Retirement Committee) Public employees' retirement and health benefit programs

Revises the 2000 Budget Act to update and correct the appropriation amounts for state annuitant health and dental benefits and corrects fiscal year references.

Chapter 1002, Statutes of 2000

SB 2007 (Speier-D) Health care service plans: provider complaints

Requires the Director of the State Department of Managed Care to establish and maintain a system of receiving, reviewing, and acting on provider complaints, as specified.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 2020 (Speier-D) Health care

Expands the Healthy Families Program (HFP) income eligibility to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, requires school districts to ask parents if they would like information and assistance about health care for children, requires hospitals to offer to enroll eligible newborns into Medi-Cal, requires the State Department of Managed Care to provide information about children's health insurance, and prohibits Medi-Cal and HFP from requiring documentation that is not mandated by federal law.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

SB 2022 (Speier-D) Health insurance coverage: pregnancy

Prohibits health plans and insurers that issue individual coverage from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion for pregnancy or maternity care.

(Failed passage in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 2046 (Speier-D) Health care: prescription drug coverage

Expands existing laws to prohibit health care service plans and disability insurers from excluding coverage for a formulary drug, which is prescribed, as specified, for off-label use to treat a chronic debilitating condition.

Chapter 852, Statutes of 2000

SB 2050 (Speier-D) Children's health care programs

Requires the State Department of Health Services (DHS) to modify the California Children's Services Program application in order to permit an applicant to also apply for the Medi-Cal Program and the Healthy Families Program and requires DHS to establish procedures for the admission of Healthy Families and Medi-Cal applications via the Internet.

Vetoed by the Governor

SB 2093 (Senate Insurance Committee) Health insurance: definition

Defines the term "health insurance" by the types of disability insurance policies included within the term and excluded from the term.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

SB 2094 (Senate Insurance Committee) Managed care reform

Clarifies the circumstances under which entities contracting with health plans are permitted to receive and disclose medical information. Double-joined with AB 2414 (Firebaugh) and SB 1903 (Speier).

Chapter 1067, Statutes of 2000

SB 2111* (Dunn-D) Long-term care insurance

Requires that the long-term care consumer rate guide, produced by the State Department of Insurance, include a rate history section for all policies issues in the United States since January 1, 1990, and a policy comparison section for all policies currently issued in California.

Chapter 560, Statutes of 2000

SB 2136 (Dunn-D) Health care providers

Requires the Advisory Committee on Managed Care, in the State Department of Managed Care (DMC), to recommend to the Director of DMC standards for a uniform medical quality audit system, as specified.

Chapter 856, Statutes of 2000

AB 93 (Cedillo-D) Healthy Families Program

Revises the Health Families Program (HFP) to provide presumptive eligibility for children, replaces the HFP premium and copayment structure with a structure allowable under federal Medicaid law, replaces a HFP health, vision, and dental coverage requirements with the Medi-Cal schedule of benefits, and makes any participant in the Food Stamp Program, Women, Infants and Children Program, Head Start, or School Lunch Program also eligible for HFP.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 138 (Gallegos-D) Health care ombudsman

Establishes an independent health care ombudsman pilot project to provide health care consumers with counseling, assistance, and advocacy services, or to otherwise aid in the resolution of consumer grievances against health care service plans and disability insurance.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 142 (Shelley-D) Health care service plans: complaints

Reduces the length of time that a health care service plan enrollee is required to participate in a plan's internal grievance procedure prior to submitting a grievance to the State Department of Corporations (DOC) and directs DOC to do follow-up in specified cases.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 368 (Kuehl-D) Health insurance

Requires all health plans which provide prosthetics aids or visual aids, including Medi-Cal, to cover aids or visual aids for individuals with low vision, as specified.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 504 (Zettel-R) Health care service plans: risk-based contracts

Prohibits a health care service plan contract from including any provision that requires physicians or physician groups to be at risk for pharmacy benefits as a condition of accepting a risk-based contract.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 525 (Kuehl-D) Benefits: reproductive health care

Requires certain health care service plans, disability insurers, and Medi-Cal managed care plans to provide a specified written statement to recipients of health care services for the purpose of informing them relative to certain reproductive health care issues, as specified.

Chapter 347, Statutes of 2000

AB 573 (Cardenas-D) Health coverage: deaf and hearing impaired

Requires health care service plan contracts, group or individual policies of health insurance, and the Medi-Cal program to provide coverage for auditory prostheses for hearing impaired persons, as defined.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 591 (Wayne-D) Health insurance: clinical trials

Requires health care service plans and disability insurers to cover routine patient care costs associated with Phase II and Phase III clinical trials for life threatening diseases or conditions.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 610 (Jackson-D) Health care coverage: children's cancer

Requires health care service plans, insurers and fraternal benefit societies to cover routine patient costs incurred during Phase II and Phase III clinical trials of children's cancer related studies sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the Pediatric Oncology Group, the Children's Cancer Group or any successor group.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 691 (Gallegos-D) Health care coverage: pharmaceuticals

Prohibits health care provider organizations from assuming any financial risk for providing or prescribing for medically necessary pharmaceuticals, unless they are involved in the design of the benefit package and contracting relationships.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 726 (Gallegos-D) Major risk medical insurance programs

Requires the fair market value of a nonprofit health care service plan that converts to for-profit status to be directed to the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board for deposit in the Major Risk Medical Insurance Fund to support the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 735 (Knox-D) Health care service plans: late payments

Establishes systems to ensure that health care service plans and health insurers provide timely payment of claims to health care providers.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 888 (Wayne-D) Health care service plans: loss ratio standards

Requires health care service plans to prepare and report to the State Commissioner of Corporations a calculation of their actual or expected loss ratios, pursuant to formulas, definitions, and procedures established by the commissioner.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 896 (Alquist-D) Health coverage

Requires every health care service plan and every policy of disability insurance to provide coverage for cholinesterase inhibitors, as specified.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1015 (Gallegos-D) Healthy Families Program

Requires the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to expand health coverage eligibility to the uninsured parents of children eligible for the State Healthy Families Program, and implements only to the extent that federal financial participation is available and funds are appropriated specifically for this purpose.

Chapter 946, Statutes of 2000

AB 1032 (Thomson-D) Health coverage: Indian tribes

Allows California Indian tribes to participate in Access for Infants and Mothers Program and Major Risk Medical Insurance Program by paying required fees of premiums on behalf of members of the tribe.

Chapter 701, Statutes of 2000

AB 1061 (McClintock-R) Health coverage programs

Repeals the Healthy Families Program, the Medi-Cal program and other various health programs.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1331 (Papan-D) Robbins-Seastrand Health Insurance Guaranty Association Law

Renames the Robbins-Seastrand Health Insurance Guaranty Association Law the Seastrand Health Insurance Guaranty Law.

Chapter 375, Statutes of 2000

AB 1356 (Strickland-R) Health plan grievances

Requires health care service plans to resolve grievances within 21 days, whenever possible.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1388 (Aanestad-R) Small employer health coverage: medical savings account

Requires the Health Insurance Plan of California to include a form of health insurance based on "medical savings accounts" as an option for small employers purchasing insurance through the plan. Authorizes the form of coverage only to employers that have not recently offered coverage to their employees.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 1455 (Scott-D) Health care service plans

Prohibits a health care service plan from engaging in an unfair payment pattern in its reimbursement of a provider, allows the Director of the State Department of Managed Care (DMC) to investigate a report of this conduct, and allows a provider to report this conduct to the DMC. Allows the director, upon a final determination that a plan has engaged in unfair payment patterns, to impose sanctions on the plan.

Chapter 827, Statutes of 2000

AB 1501 (Correa-D) Health care service plans: hysterectomies

Requires every individual or group health care service plan to provide an enrollee with information regarding alternatives to a hysterectomy when the enrollee is diagnosed with a condition or disease in which a hysterectomy is a possible treatment for the condition or disease.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1503 (Baugh-R) Health care service plans: point-of-service plan contracts

Increases the allowable point-of-service expenditure by a health care service plan from eight percent to ten percent.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1590 (Villaraigosa-D) Health care service plans: primary care providers

Prohibits a health care service plan from requiring an enrollee to obtain services from a particular primary care physician who was selected by the plan if the enrollee, after meeting and evaluating the physician, desires to select a different primary care physician from among the available primary care physicians who contract with the plan in the applicable service area.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 1734* (Thomson-D) Small employer health care coverage

Provides a refundable tax credit for amounts paid or incurred by an eligible employer to provide health insurance coverage for eligible individuals and the individual's dependents.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 1735 (Thomson-D) Healthy Families Program: pupil services

Requires school districts and county offices of education to provide a request form to parents regarding information on the Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Program.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 1751 (Kuehl-D) Health care contracts: arbitration

Prevents health plans from forcing patients to give up their jury trial and other due process rights in order to obtain health care coverage for themselves and their family members.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 1887 (Cedillo-D) Health insurance: employees

Establishes a pilot program in San Diego County for the Healthy Californians Program, which provides health care coverage through a purchasing pool for employees of small employers, and the employees' dependents aged 19 and over.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 1974 (Migden-D) Healthy Families Program

Requires the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, in collaboration with the State Department of Health Services, to enter into an interagency agreement with the State Employment Development Department to establish a process by which employers are required to notify employees of Healthy Families Program options and the Medi-Cal program for children.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 2130 (Corbett-D) Family health insurance coverage

Requires a health insurer, pursuant to a qualified medical support order, to provide a non-covered custodial parent or other person having custody of a child the same information regarding insurance coverage for the child that is provided to the covered non-custodial parent.

Chapter 809, Statutes of 2000

AB 2168 (Gallegos-D) Health care coverage

Clarifies existing law to ensure that health care service plan enrollees with HIV or AIDS have access to a specialist. Sunsets January 1, 2004.

Chapter 426, Statutes of 2000

AB 2208* (Frusetta-R) Taxation: preventive health care

Provides a tax credit up to $50,000 per year, equal to 25 percent of the qualified expenses paid or incurred by any taxpayer for preventive health care, a health plan, or preventive health care insurance provided to the taxpayer's employees who are qualified farmworkers.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2261 (Zettel-R) Healthy Families Program

Permits participating health plans to provide direct application assistance in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 2262 (Ackerman-R) Health care: damages

Revises provisions of laws relative to recovery of damages under the Managed Health Care Insurance Accountability Act of 1999.

(Died in Assembly Judiciary Committee)

AB 2281* (Alquist-D) Long-term insurance

Allows an above-the-line income tax deduction equal for the purchase of long-term care insurance.

(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

AB 2299 (Gallegos-D) Healthy Families Program

Provides dental and vision benefits through the Healthy Families Program for children who meet specified criteria.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

AB 2327* (Gallegos-D) Health care coverage

Extends specified protections and immunities in existing law to the Health Rights Hotline, a program operated by the Center for Health Care Rights for another three years and applies protections to six additional State Health Consumer Assistance Programs relating to discrimination and retaliation.

Chapter 139, Statutes of 2000

AB 2332 (Mazzoni-D) Dental management service organization

Prohibits any person from engaging in business as a dental management services organization unless that person obtains a license to operate a health care service plan.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

AB 2383 (Keeley-D) Public employee health care benefit

Allows employees of local contracting agencies and school districts that work less than half time to participate in Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act at the option of the employer.

Chapter 874, Statutes of 2000

AB 2537 (Thomson-D) Payment of health claims

Provides that interest is to accrue on contested health care insurance claims if an insurer has received all information necessary to determine payer liability and has not reimbursed a claim determined to be payable within 30 working days of receipt of that information.

Chapter 241, Statutes of 2000

AB 2616 (Margett-R) Health insurance: payment of claims

Prohibits disability insurers from requesting information that is not reasonably necessary to determine liability for the payment of a claim and requires them to pay providers the cost, as specified, of duplicating all information they request in connection with a contested claim. Extends the sunset of, for one year, the exemption from the requirements of the Senior Insurance Law for direct response disability insurance. Provides an exemption from the bill when a contract exists to provide duplication services, specifically between an insurer and its agents, an insurer and provider, and a provider and its agent.

Chapter 844, Statutes of 2000

AB 2765* (Knox-D) Small employer health care coverage: tax credit

Provides a tax credit for amounts paid or incurred by an eligible employer to provide health insurance coverage for an eligible individual and that individual's dependents.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 2797 (Papan-D) Confidentiality of health information

Provides that a person or entity that underwrites or sells insurance may not disclose individual identifiable information concerning the health of, or the medical or genetic history of, a customer with regard to the granting of credit.

Chapter 278, Statutes of 2000

AB 2877* (Thomson-D) Omnibus Health Care Budget Bill

Among other provisions of the bill, extends the sunset date for enrollment of legal immigrant children under the Healthy Families Program for one year. Enables health plans participating in the program to provide application assistance directly to an applicant. Includes allowing a subscriber of the plan to switch his/her choice of plan for any reason once within three months of coverage.

Chapter 93, Statutes of 2000

AB 2903 (Assembly Health Committee) Health care coverage

Makes technical cleanup changes to the 1999 Managed Reform Acts including renaming the State Department of Managed Care as the State Department of Managed Health Care and redefines "approximately qualified health care professional" for health plans providing a second opinion.

Chapter 857, Statutes of 2000

ACR 184 (Hertzberg-D) California Health Insurance Program

Urges the State Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to apply for a demonstration project under the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Resolution Chapter 149, Statutes of 2000

AJR 42 (Alquist-D) Medicare prescription drug benefit

Requests the Congress to enact and implement the Voluntary Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit contained in the President of the United State's fiscal year 2001 budget.

Resolution Chapter 121, Statutes of 2000

HR 10 (Migden-D) Self-funded employer-based health plans

Requests the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to revise the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to grant authority to the states to monitor and regulate self-funded employer-based health plans. Urges all of the other states to petition the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation to revise the ERISA to grant authority to the states to monitor and regulate self-funded employer-based health plans.

(Died in Assembly Health Committee)

Earthquake Insurance

SB 622 (Speier-D) Earthquake insurance: inception of loss

Defines "inception of loss" for earthquake losses, and declares legislative intent regarding the Northridge earthquake and relevant case law on the subject.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

SB 1899 (Burton-D) Northridge earthquake insurance claims

Provides victims of the 1994 Northridge earthquake an additional year to file insurance claims for their quake-related damages, as specified.

Chapter 1090, Statutes of 2000

SB 1925 (Speier-D) Earthquake insurance

Requires insurers participating with the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) to inform homeowners of the availability of earthquake insurance in any year when an offer is not made and allows homeowners to obtain earthquake insurance within specified time limits if homeowners request the coverage. Establishes additional minimum standards for management of the finances of the CEA, creates a seismic retrofit credit financed through an existing CEA program, and makes other related changes.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

Miscellaneous

SB 423* (Johnston-D) Life insurance: guaranteed living benefits

Permits life insurers to issue contracts containing guaranteed variable living benefits.

Chapter 694, Statutes of 2000

SB 539 (Figueroa-D) Insolvency, delinquency, administrative supervision

Makes a number of changes that enhances the State Department of Insurance's existing ability to seize insolvent or delinquent insurers.

(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)

SB 769 (Johnson-R) Insurance: title policies: rates

Provides that the effective date of the schedule of rates for the insurers is not to be earlier than the 31st day following receipt of the schedule by the State Insurance Commissioner rather than the 30th day.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

SB 896 (Speier-D) Insurance tax audits

Transfers the insurance tax audit and processing functions from the State Department of Insurance to the State Board of Equalization.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 953 (Speier-D) Insurance Commissioner

Limits campaign contributions by insurers to the State Insurance Commissioner (IC) in order to prevent potential bias in decisions affecting the insurer. Imposes a system of campaign contribution limits and voluntary expenditure ceilings on the IC or a candidate for that office.

(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)

SB 1017 (Lewis-R) Insurance licensing

Deletes provisions of the Insurance Code that exempts broker/agents licensed prior to 1992 from specified educational requirements as a condition for licensure.

(Died on Senate Inactive File)

SB 1151 (Polanco-D) Financial investments: insurance companies

Allows insurance companies to claim an insurance gross premium tax credit in an amount equal to the qualified amount invested by the insurer in certified capital companies.

(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 1500 (Burton-D) Insurers: unfair practices

Requires the State Insurance Commissioner, upon serving an order of misconduct, to specify the reason why the method of competition is alleged to be unfair or the act or practice is alleged to be unfair or deceptive.

Chapter 280, Statutes of 2000

SB 1524 (Figueroa-D) Insurance: fines and penalties

Prohibits the State Insurance Commissioner from using his/her name, likeness or voice in public outreach efforts funded by proceeds resulting from enforcement actions, and requires public outreach funded by enforcement actions to be germane to the issues raised by the enforcement actions.

Chapter 1089, Statutes of 2000

SB 1528 (Hughes-D) Insurance: insurer's assets

Increases the proportion of an insurer's assets that may be invested in subsidiaries without prior approval of the State Insurance Commissioner.

Chapter 170, Statutes of 2000

SB 1737 (Hayden-D) University of California study: slavery

Requests that the University of California assemble a group of scholars to draft a research proposal to analyze the economic benefits of slavery that accrued to owners and businesses, including insurance companies, and make recommendations to the Legislature regarding its findings on or before January 1, 2002.

Chapter 1038, Statutes of 2000

SB 1805 (Escutia-D) Insurance market conduct examinations

Requires the State Insurance Commissioner (IC), if he/she suspends or terminates a market conduct examination that includes an examination of claims practices, to send a copy of the complete file to the State Bureau of Audits and requires the State Auditor to audit the file and make a determination on the property of the termination or suspension. Requires the IC to make information concerning the resolution of every adopted report or an examination that pertains to unfair or deceptive business practices available for public inspection and on the State Department of Insurance's website, as specified.

Chapter 997, Statutes of 2000

SB 1837 (Figueroa-D) Viatical settlement contracts

Modifies the definition of a security to include a viatical settlement contract (whereby investors purchase death benefits of the terminally ill) or a fractionalized or pooled interest in such a contract.

Chapter 705, Statutes of 2000

SB 1915* (Poochigian-R) Insurance: Armenian Genocide victims

Allows Armenian Genocide victims and their heirs or beneficiaries to file suit in California against an insurer doing business in California or whose contracts with the state satisfy the requirements for incorporation of personal jurisdiction, to recover proceeds due under a life, annuities, dowry, educational or casualty insurance policy which was sold directly to that insurer or through a related company to persons in Europe or Asia at any time between 1875 and 1923.

Chapter 543, Statutes of 2000

SB 2107 (Speier-D) Insurance: settlement agreements

Specifies the extent of the authority of the State Insurance Commissioner in the settlement with an insurer of an administrative action.

Chapter 1091, Statutes of 2000

SB 2156 (Johnston-D) Mutual insurers

Expressly defines that a holder of an extended reporting period policy or endorsement ("take coverage endorsement") is not a member of the issuing domestic mutual insurer.

Chapter 255, Statutes of 2000

SB 2168 (Polanco-D) Natural hazard disclosure statements: kickbacks

Prohibits any person or entity that generates hazard disclosure statements from providing compensation or other inducements to real estate agents in exchange for the referral of customers, prohibits real estate agents from receiving any compensation or inducement for referring customers to persons who sell natural hazard disclosure statements, and expands the definition of "title business."

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

SB 2176* (Chesbro-D) Insurance company dividend expense

Allows corporations to deduct interest expense attributable to dividends received from an insurance company subsidiary that are deductible from income.

(Died in Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee)

SB 2199 (Hayden-D) Slavery era insurance policies

Requires the State Insurance Commissioner (IC) to request and obtain information from insurers doing business in the state regarding any records of slaveholder insurance policies issued by any predecessor corporation during the slavery era, which policies provided coverage to slaveholders for damage to or death of their slaves. Requires insurers to research and report on these policies and requires the IC to make this information available to the public and the Legislature. States that descendents of slaves are entitled to full disclosure.

Chapter 934, Statutes of 2000

SCA 19 (Speier-D) Insurance Commissioner

Makes the State Insurance Commissioner an appointive office rather than elected, with the consent of the Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. Prohibits the State Insurance Commissioner from serving in the office for more than eight years.

(Died in Senate Constitutional Amendments Committee)

SCR 87 (Lewis-R) State Department of Insurance: confidential documents

Makes various findings and declarations concerning the Legislature's use of insurance market conduct information considered to be confidential by the State Department of Insurance (DOI) and the appropriate role of the Bureau of State Audits (BSA) in investigations of this nature, as specified. Requests the BSA to complete a performance audit of DOIs examination process.

(Died in Senate Rules Committee)

SR 28 (Hayden-D) Holocaust survivors insurance claims

Calls on the U.S. Department of State to support California's legislation in support of World War II-era survivors of slave and forced labor, and insurance claims by the Holocaust survivors as a crucial catalyst in advancing the cause of survivors and calls on the U.S. Department of State to view a just resolution of survivors' claims as a human precedent and moral priority for present and future generations.

Adopted by the Senate

AB 274 (Baldwin-R) Cal-Vet: life and disability insurance

Provides for an actuarial study of the life and disability insurance coverage offered to Cal-Vet loan holders and requires the State Department of Veteran Affairs to submit copies of the report to the Legislature by July 1, 2001.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 374 (Cunneen-R) Insurance: digital signatures

Requires the State Department of Insurance to establish minimal standards for digital signatures and public-key infrastructures for private and public industry usage.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 393 (Scott-D) Insurance: production agencies

Requires insurers to comply with the insurance agent licensing laws with regard to employees or contractors who solicit, negotiate, or effect insurance, prohibits a person from soliciting, negotiating or effecting contracts of insurance without a valid license, and creates a personal lines broker-agent license, and credit insurance agent license.

Chapter 321, Statutes of 2000

AB 464 (Maldonado-R) Taxes and fees: interest

Revises interest calculation provisions in the tax and fee programs administered by the State Board of Equalization so that the interest rate applied to overpayments and underpayments is the same.

(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)

AB 481 (Scott-D) Unfair insurance claims

Requires, in any settlement agreement related to an alleged violation by an insurer of provisions relating to unfair methods of computation and unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance, the State Insurance Commissioner is to give final priority to policyholders and may provide for remediation, payment to policyholder, or both of these remedies. Requires any funds ordered or allocated in a settlement for education or research to be deposited in the Insurance fund and to be expended for that education and research only when authorized pursuant to the Budget Act.

Vetoed by the Governor

AB 905* (Dutra-D) Mortgage guaranty insurance

Increases the authorized mortgage insurance limit from 97 percent to 100 percent loan-to-value ratio. Specifically permits private mortgage insurers to insure loans that have 100 percent loan-to-value ratios.

Chapter 10, Statutes of 2000

AB 1288 (Davis-D) Contractors: liability insurance

Requires contractors to carry liability insurance.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

AB 1979 (Wesson-D) Insurance: false claims

Exempts reinsurance contracts from the requirement of printing a statement advising that anyone who makes a false or fraudulent insurance claim if guilty of a crime that may be subject to a fine and state imprisonment.

Chapter 470, Statutes of 2000

AB 1983 (Kuehl-D) FAIR Plan: brush hazards

Authorizes, under the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, a transfer of surcharges in specified circumstances. Specifically permits the FAIR Plan to transfer assessment for a brush surcharge from one policyholder to another policyholder, if the latter's noncompliance with brush removal requirements is the sole cause to the former's surcharge.

Chapter 323, Statutes of 2000

AB 2022 (Maddox-R) Title insurance

Extends the law governing documentation related to the prohibition of restrictive real estate covenants required of title companies to controlled escrow companies and underwritten title companies.

(Died on Assembly Inactive File)

AB 2069 (Corbett-D) Attorneys: defense of insureds

Requires the State Bar of California to conduct a study concerning the legal and professional responsibility issues that may arise as a result of the relationship between an attorney and an insurer when the attorney is subsequently retained to represent a party against another party insured by the insurer.

Chapter 472, Statutes of 2000

AB 2089 (Wright-D) Tax on insurers

Creates an insurance tax credit for insurance companies that contribute to the California Insurer Investment Program Fund.

(Died in Assembly Insurance Committee)

AB 2215 (Ashburn-R) Title insurers

Authorizes title companies and title insurers to undertake and insure the search of public records that set forth the specific boundaries of governmentally-created zones, districts, maps, or other delineated areas affecting real property, and any report or disclosure of the results of that search. Specifies that nontitle companies are not precluded from conducting and reporting searches of these public records.

(Died in Senate Insurance Committee)

AB 2251 (Cox-R) Insurance: advertising

Requires individuals or companies to disclose on the Internet the same information required of individuals and companies who sell insurance traditionally.

Chapter 211, Statutes of 2000

AB 2312 (House-R) Taxation: insurers: gross premiums tax

Requires any life insurer and life insurance agent that separately bills his/her client for the insurance gross premium tax to inform the client about the tax.

Chapter 614, Statutes of 2000

AB 2594 (Cox-R) Insurance fraud

Increases the fines for insurance fraud from $10,000 upon a first conviction and the possibility of one year in jail or prison, or both. Provides for a second subsequent conviction to be punishable by imprisonment or by that imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.

Chapter 843, Statutes of 2000

AB 2639 (Calderon-D) Insurance brokers

Clarifies an insurance broker's status as a broker, instead of an insurance agent, when submitting insurance to an insurer.

Chapter 1074, Statutes of 2000

AB 2905 (Assembly Insurance Committee) Surety company reserve funds

Allows reserve accounts of surety companies from undertakings of bail to be maintained in U.S. government bonds, Treasury certificate, repurchase agreements and money market funds backed by the U.S., and other obligations for which the faith of the U.S. is pledged.

Chapter 141, Statutes of 2000

AJR 67 (Papan-D) Disaster relief: insurance requirements

Urges the United States Congress to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency not to proceed with proposed public assistance insurance requirements or to modify its proposed regulations.

Resolution Chapter 129, Statutes of 2000

Index (in Bill Order)