Committee advances bill to modernize electronic claims attachments for providers

Assemblymember Gibson presented AB 2499 to address restrictive file-size limits on electronic claims submissions that often force providers to fax or mail thousands of pages. Eduardo Martinez, representing Providence Saint Joseph Health, said claims administration is slowed by outdated and incompatible plan portals and that the bill offers a narrow, practical solution aligning implementation with a May 2028 federal compliance date.

Opponents, including Olga Shiloh of the California Association of Health Plans and Matt Akin of the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, urged a 'no' vote, arguing federal standards finalized for 2028 should take effect and that a separate California framework could raise administrative costs and operational complexity. Shiloh warned the bill could prohibit plans from denying or delaying claims solely because of system limitations, a change she said could create risks of improper payments.

Proponents said the bill was amended in the senate to accommodate federal timing and to include reasonable exemptions for extended outages and cybersecurity incidents. The committee recorded a motion to concur in senate amendments and moved the measure out of committee.