Blanca Pacheco

Existing law requests the University of California to establish the California Health Benefit Review Program (CHBRP) to assess legislation proposing to mandate a health care benefit or service or repeal a mandated benefit or service and to prepare a written analysis. Existing law authorizes an appropriate policy or fiscal committee chairperson, the Speaker of the Assembly, or the President pro Tempore of the Senate to request that written analysis. Under existing law, a written analysis is requested to be provided to the Legislature not later than 60 days after a request for analysis is made. Existing law establishes the Health Care Benefits Fund, funded by an annual fee on health care service plans and health insurers, to support the University of California and CHBRP.

This bill would require the Department of Health Care Access and Information to seek to partner with the University of California to develop a plan to establish the Center for Health Provider Policy Impact to assess and evaluate the impact of state and federal policies on hospitals. The bill would require the center to evaluate anticipated and actual impacts of proposed policies on health care delivery, access, workforce, and system sustainability and would require the center to create reports, at least annually, as specified. The bill would authorize the Legislature to request that the center review specific legislation or issues. The bill would establish the Health Provider Impact Fund. The bill would require the department to assess a fee for each hospital for the costs required to fund the above-described activities, as specified, thus imposing a tax. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2033.