We are very close to enacting some important changes to our health care system and your support can make a difference! All three of our sponsored bills are on their way to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk and your letters of support can help encourage him to sign them into law. The bills will help consumers enroll in and access the care they need. Please send in letters of support today!
Translating Consumer Tool: SB 388 (Mitchell) requires health insurance plans to translate the “summary of benefits and coverage” – a tool that helps consumers understand their benefits – into non-English languages based on California’s language access requirements. It also requires the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Insurance to make available on their website the translated templates of the tool. Download and send in a sample letter of support for SB 388 here.
Improving Provider Directories: SB 137 (Hernandez) creates standards for provider directories and requires regular updates so that they include accurate information about which doctors and hospitals are in a patient’s network and which languages are spoken when shopping for coverage or seeking care. CPEHN is co-sponsoring this legislation with Consumers Union and Health Access. Download and send in a sample letter of support for SB 137 here.
Updating Hospital Language Assistance Plans: AB 389 (Chau) requires hospitals to post on their websites information about how they provide language assistance to Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients. The bill also requires the California Department of Public Health to post on its website the hospital language assistance policies. This bill improves access to this information for all Californians and ensures consumers are informed about their right to language assistance. Download and send in a sample letter of support for AB 389 here.
Your voice is needed to ensure these bills are SIGNED by the Governor. Please send in your letters of support today!