California/Illinois: MORE state-level healthcare protection/enhancement bills move forward

Over the past few weeks I've noted that a half-dozen states or so (Maryland, New Jersey, Vermont, Hawaii, California and Illinois) have been pushing through a long list of bills/laws at the state level to either protect the ACA from sabotage or even strengthen it. Meanwhile, other states have either expanded Medicaid under the ACA (Virginia, of course) or have locked in ballot measures to do so this fall (Utah, Idaho). Finally, several states have announced they're joining dozens of others to take advantage of "Silver Loading" or full-on "Silver Switching".

Well, things haven't slowed down. Just a few days after eight different ACA/healthcare bills passed out of either the state Senate or Assembly, California legislators have passed several more:

BREAKING: Key #Care4AllCA bill, #AB2459 (@laurafriedman43), passed the CA Assembly on a bipartisan 68-0 vote to expand affordability assistance from 400%-600% FPL, so consumers don't have to pay more than 8% of their income on health coverage. #HCR #CoveredCA

— Health Access CA (@healthaccess) May 30, 2018

Apparently AB2459 is just the Assembly version of a similar Senate Bill, SB1255, which passed a few days earlier.

BREAKING: The California Assembly voted to pass Assemblymember @drarambulaAD31's #AB2275, sponsored by @Western_Center and @CPEHN, to improve accountability for quality and equity of Medi-Cal managed care plans. A key part of the #Care4AllCA package.

— Health Access CA (@healthaccess) May 30, 2018

I don't know much about this one, but it sounds like it has to do with correcting disparities between "pure" Medicaid and privately-managed Medicaid coverage.

BREAKING: #SB974 (@SenRicardoLara) passes the CA Senate, to expand Medi-Cal to include all seniors regardless of immigration status, a key step to #Health4All. Bill goes to Assembly; Issue is being discussed in #CABudget negotiations. #CALeg #Care4AllCA @CALimmigrant

— Health Access CA (@healthaccess) May 31, 2018

BREAKING: California Assembly passes #AB2965 (@drarambulaAD31) to expand Medi-Cal to include all income-eligible young adults regardless of immigration status, as a step to #Health4All. #Care4AllCA

— Health Access CA (@healthaccess) May 30, 2018

Between AB2965 and SB974, it sounds like California is taking care of undocumented immigrants at the young and elderly ends of the lifespan.

Again, all of these still have to be passed by the other legislative chamber, and then they'll all have to be signed by Gov. Brown (who may veto at least some of them due to budget/funding issues), but still some impressive work by the California Assembly and Senate.

Meanwhile, in Illinois, the #ShortAssPlan restriction bill I mentioned a week or so ago has now passed both the state House and Senate:

More good news in #Illinois: A bill that would restrict the sale of short-term health plans has passed out of the State House—and now goes to @GovRauner's desk. Read more about it here: https://t.co/084oBIVr7X cc: @hiltzikm @charles_gaba #ProtectOurCare #twill #StopJunkInsurance

— Shriver Center (@shrivercenter) May 31, 2018