California Health and Safety Code

§ 1342.2

HSC § 1342.2 Effective Sep 17, 2025Div. 2 · Ch. 2.2 · Art. 1

Statute text

(a)Notwithstanding any other law, a health care service plan contract that covers medical, surgical, and hospital benefits, excluding a specialized health care service plan contract, shall cover the costs for COVID-19 diagnostic and screening testing and health care services related to diagnostic and screening testing approved or granted emergency use authorization by the federal Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19, regardless of whether the services are provided by an in-network or out-of-network provider. Coverage required by this section shall not be subject to copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or any other form of cost sharing. Services related to COVID-19 diagnostic and screening testing include, but are not limited to, hospital or health care provider office visits for the purposes of receiving testing, products related to testing, the administration of testing, and items and services furnished to an enrollee as part of testing. Services related to COVID-19 diagnostic and screening testing do not include bonus payments for the use of specialized equipment or expedited processing.

(1)To the extent a health care provider would have been entitled to receive cost sharing but for this section, the health care service plan shall reimburse the health care provider the amount of that lost cost sharing.

(2)A health care service plan contract shall not impose prior authorization or any other utilization management requirements on COVID-19 diagnostic and screening testing.

…

Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 105, Sec. 15. (AB 144) Effective September 17, 2025.