Governor passes new laws concerning California Health Benefit Exchange
Last week, Californi
a Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a series of legislations designed to prepare the state for the coming of the California Health Benefit Exchange. The exchange program is part of the Affordable Care Act, which tasks states with building their own health insurance marketplace that is filled with affordable policies that are designed to meet the needs of consumers. The laws passed by Governor Brown aim create a positive environment for this exchange program to take root as well as address some of the issues the state may be confronted with in adopting an insurance exchange.
Measure aims to protect consumers from fraud
According to Assembly Bill 1761, unauthorized businesses and individuals are prohibited from claiming to represent the state’s health insurance exchange. This legislation aims to address the issues that may arise from the establishment of the California Health Benefit Exchange. Legislators expect that the law will help cut down on fraudulent activity that would occur in the state, coming from those that seek to exploit the new insurance program by selling phony health insurance policies to consumers.
Some may be provided with free coverage
Another law, called Assembly Bill 792, aims to help Californians that have lost their insurance coverage due to job loss, divorce, or other legal issues. The state will provide these consumers with information concerning cost reduction plans that are associated with the California Health Benefit Exchange. The government will also provide details concerning how these people may receive free health insurance coverage through the Medi-Cal program.
Measures to be enacted in 2014, along with insurance exchange
Other measures signed into law by Governor Brown will expand the availability of health insurance to the self-employed as well as imposed minimum standards for insurers that wish to sell policies through the California Health Benefit Exchange. The majority of these measures, including the state’s health insurance exchange system, are not scheduled to go active until January 2014, with others becoming enacted in February of that year.
