History of the policy area
Introduction
Assembly Bill number 1954 titled, Health care coverage: reproductive health care services. This particular bill was introduced on February 17, 2016. The bill is presented as Burke. The bill belongs to Chapter 495, Statutes 2016. This bill needs every health care service plan agreement or health insurance policy given, revised, resumed, or handed over on or after January 1, 2017, to cover reproductive and sexual health care services, as it is marked out all over the network providers below defined instances. This bill prohibits planned contracts or insurance policies from needing an enrollee or insured to acquire a referral for them to get reproductive or sexual health care services. This bill imposes a state-mandated local program for all who violate the terms and conditions. The California constitution requests the state to repay local agencies and district schools for particular costs ordered by the nation. Statutory provisions initiate procedures for creating reimbursement. However, the bill says that this act needs no reimbursement for a defined purpose.
History of the policy area
Although there have been other government codes related to health coverage, most failed to address reproductive health care services, a significant concern for California. The incapacity to access comprehensive reproductive and sexual health services conveniently can lead to adverse health results like elevated risk for unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and delayed health care. Three-quarters of age reproductive women in the country receive at least one sexual or reproductive health service annually. This bill addresses coverage for reproductive and sexual health, especially those covered by 6924, 6925, 6926, 6927, 6928, and 6929 of the family codes. This bill was chartered by the Secretary of State as Chapter 495, Statutes 2016, and approved by the Governor on September 6, 2016. Notably, this bill was established to address issues in the previous health coverage-related law, particularly regarding reproductive health care (Sonfield, A., & Pollack, H. A. (2013).
The problem, population, and context
California has a long history of lengthening access to reproductive health services that target the reduction of the risk of unwanted pregnancies, upgrade reproductive and sexual health results, and reduce costs. The legislature has also passed some measures to aid health plan enrollment and insured access to timely health care by creating standards and policies concerning at times for an appointment. Based on the Guttmacher Institute’s research, half of all pregnancies in the US each year, the unwanted ones are more than three million. Nearly by the age of 45, more than half of women in the US will have encountered unwanted pregnancies, and three out of ten women will have had an abortion (Ganle, J. K., 2020). This can result in the inability to get comprehensive reproductive health care in time. Offering convenient, comprehensive reductive health care service is cost-effective and lifesaving.
One of the problems related to reproductive health care services includes poverty and immigration status—for instance, Latina immigrants’ challenges to obtain and afford reproductive health services in California. Latinos are one of the most immense and fastest-growing ethnic groups that lack health insurance. Another instance is the Tulare community, one of the poorest counties in California. Most residents cannot afford primary needs like housing, food, clothing, and health care. Certainly, undocumented immigrants are explicitly excluded from enjoying the benefits and eligibility for health care insurance (Mengesha, Z. B., 2017).
California has experienced rising rates of some sexually transmitted infections in recent years, particularly HIV and syphilis. Health providers have witnessed an influx of new STI diagnoses, especially among young persons. Some of the cases are attributed to the small communities of students dating each other (Trieu, S. L., et al., 2011).
Value discussion
California is predominantly a democratic state, and reproductive health services is a crucial concern for the country. Assembly Bill number 1954 has been of value to the people of California. The bill has built measures by permitting patients in commercial health plans to quickly get family planning and sexual health services from other givers without referrals, such as modern practice clinicians. Of importance is that the bill eliminates administrative blocks for individuals registered in commercial or special health insurance by permitting them to get sexual and reproductive health services inside the health plan system. Some of the sexual and reproductive health services obtained within a health plan’s network include pregnancy testing, STI screening, Contraceptive services, abortion services, and HIV testing. The bill aims to expand the availability of reproductive and sexual health care services via a provision that permits out of network care in specified instances without a referral. Requiring referrals triggers confidentiality concerns, resulting in further delays in getting health care services (Loue, S. (Ed.). (2013. For example, in the case of women in need of abortion services, waiting for referrals delays them from getting time-sensitive information and data. Notably, this bill makes use of all commercial health insurance plans like plans given via Covered California. Of importance is that this bill applies whether a patient is a minor or not.
Conclusion
In sum, Assembly Bill 1954 will seek to address deficiencies in the past health coverage, especially reproductive health services, by eliminating ambiguities in the said health law. Once this bill is enacted, it will eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens that cause holdups in the health care sector. This bill will amount to the playing field to establish significant, more fair access to sexual and reproductive health care services by giving access to those no referrals. Another fantastic thing about this bill is that it will build on the Affordable Care by authorizing patients in the commercial health plans to acquire family planning and health services with no references from other health care providers. Nonetheless, this bill does not address services outside a health plan’s network.
Every American is entitled to receive affordable and adequate health insurance coverage, regardless of income or health status. Although many aspects of this bill have received vast attention, its effect on reproductive health has received considerably less scrutiny. If fully implemented as planned, Assembly Bill 1954 can improve California and the US’s reproductive health in three aspects. First, it will increase the number of men and women with insurance coverage. Secondly, it will increase the value of insurance coverage for checking out reproductive health needs. Finally, it will improve access to reproductive health services and information more generally.
References
Ganle, J. K., Otupiri, E., Obeng, B., Edusie, A. K., Ankomah, A., & Adanu, R. (2016). Challenges women with disabilities face in accessing and using maternal healthcare services in Ghana: a qualitative study. PloS one, 11(6), e0158361.
Loue, S. (Ed.). (, 2013). Handbook of immigrant health. Springer Science & Business Media.
Mengesha, Z. B., Perz, J., Dune, T., & Ussher, J. (2017). Refugee and migrant women’s engagement with sexual and reproductive health care in Australia: A socio-ecological analysis of health care professional perspectives. PLoS One, 12(7), e0181421.
Trieu, S. L., Bratton, S., & Hopp Marshak, H. (2011). Sexual and reproductive health behaviors of California community college students. Journal of American College Health, 59(8), 744-750.
Sonfield, A., & Pollack, H. A. (2013). The Affordable Care Act and reproductive health: potential gains and serious challenges. Journal of health politics, policy, and law, 38(2), 373-391.