Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) introduced legislation on Feb. 12 to help Californians keep health coverage during life transitions.
SB 260 will require health plans and insurers to give consumers who lose their coverage for any reason notices of the availability of Medi-Cal and Covered California coverage. The bill will also make it easier for Covered California to reach out to consumers, who have lost their coverage to help minimize gaps in their coverage.
“SB 260 is a critical piece of legislation for communities in the Central Valley and throughout California,” said Senator Hurtado. “Experiencing life transitions is inevitable, particularly in the Valley where communities face poverty at an alarming rate. This bill’s proactive approach eliminates the extra step for someone who is undergoing a transition in their life by ensuring that they maintain health coverage,” continued Senator Hurtado.
…“When someone loses Medi-Cal, they don’t have enough time to enroll in a Covered California plan that will start when their Medi-Cal ends. This legislation will help ensure consumers don’t face gaps in coverage just because they start earning a little more money,” said Jen Flory, Policy Advocate for Western Center on Law and Poverty.