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Action needed:
Write to the Senate Health Committee, asking members to SUPPORT Senate Bill (SB) 958, related to health plans’ medication policies that negatively impact patient safety, and to Sen. Anna Caballero to SUPPORT SB 1212, related to health care staffing agencies’ billing practices. CHA has developed template letters and key messages about the bills for your use (see below). Please send your letters to Judy Zhu at jzhu@calhospital.org.
Timing:
Please send your letters for SB 958 by March 29. Please send your letters for SB 1212 by April 4.
SB 958 – Support:
CHA-sponsored SB 958 (Limón, D-Santa Barbara and Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge) would prevent health plans from mandating the use of third-party vendors for specialty medications. While the bill would not outlaw this policy (referred to as “white bagging”) for all injected or infused medications, it would disallow this practice where there are concerns about patient safety or drug integrity.
SB 1212 – Support:
CHA-sponsored SB 1212 (Caballero, D-Salinas) would provide necessary transparency in bills sent to hospitals by health care staffing agencies and ensure that hospitals know exactly what they are paying for. Additionally, during a state of emergency, SB 1212 would prohibit staffing agencies from increasing non-labor costs by more than 10% unless directly attributable to additional expenses. This will prevent price gouging in future health crises and natural disasters and will curb unscrupulous behavior by some staffing agencies.