AB 1312 (Schiavo, D-Santa Clarita)

AB 1312 would require hospitals to prescreen patients who meet specified criteria — such as being uninsured or enrolled in Medi-Cal, among others — for charity care and discount payment eligibility. By July 1, 2026, hospitals must establish a written prescreening process and disclose any third-party software tools used to prescreen patients. Prescreening and eligibility determinations must be completed before discharge, with any adjustments made before billing. If a patient was approved for financial assistance in the past 12 months, hospitals must apply the discount before issuing a bill.