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California health panels press for fast decisions as state reviews 2027 essential health benefits
Summary
Legislators and regulators heard actuarial and legal overviews of the Affordable Care Act process to set California’s essential health benefits benchmark, the May submission deadline for a 2027 effective date, and a federal “typicality” cap that limits how much benefit richness the state can add.
Assemblymember Mia Bonta, chairing a joint informational hearing of the Assembly and Senate health committees, opened the session by saying the hearing would consider options for California’s essential health benefits (EHBs) benchmark and the actuarial work behind any changes. "The Affordable Care Act requires health plans sold in the individual and small group markets to offer a comprehensive package of items and services known as essential health benefits or EHBs," she said, noting the state must submit any new benchmark package to the federal government by May in order for changes to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Why it matters: changing California’s benchmark determines which services individual and small-group plans must cover across the state. The committee’s work will constrain or expand coverage — and can affect premiums for millions of consumers and the state’s exchange, Covered California.
Mary Watanabe, director of the Department of…
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