Senate panel advances bill to expand valley fever screening, reporting and no-cost coverage

Senators advanced a bill aimed at improving detection and insurance coverage for valley fever, a fungal infection that public health officials say is spreading beyond traditional hot spots. SB 297 would require local health departments to report confirmed cases annually to the California Department of Public Health, expand screening in high-incidence areas when medically appropriate, and require health plans, including Medi‑Cal, to cover screening costs with limited exceptions under federal law.

Senator Anna Hurtado, the bill's author, told the Senate Health Committee the Central Valley faces a growing burden of valley fever. “I spoke with a group of farm workers in the Central Valley. Many shared stories of feeling sick for weeks — persistent cough, fevers and fatigue that made it difficult to work,” she said. Hurtado said inconsistent testing and reporting make it difficult for public health agencies to understand the disease’s scope and that climate changes are broadening the fungus’s geographic reach.

Physician witnesses described cases they said could have been detected earlier if screening were routine in high‑risk settings. “If he had been caught…