Last Updated on January 12, 2024 by BVN
Breanna Reeves |
New laws that took effect with the new year will impact the lives of millions of Californians, including more than 700,000 undocumented Californians, ages 26-49, who are now eligible for full-scope MediCal coverage.
This expansion makes California the first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented residents, further closing the coverage gap in the state. Researchers from UC Berkeley and UCLA estimate that nearly one million undocumented Californians will have gained access to Medi-Cal through the ongoing expansion.
Under the expansion, known as the Ages 26 through 49 Adult Expansion, full-scope coverage includes access to primary and preventive care, as well as prescription drugs, vision care, mental health care and specialists.
In addition to expanding access to more Californians, the state is taking more steps to protect reproductive rights and ensure privacy with Assembly Bills 254 and 352, which set out to protect and restrict the sharing of health records related to abortion, pregnancy loss and menstrual health data.
“I’m thrilled the Governor has signed my reproductive privacy bills. Patients seeking care in California will be safer when they return home,” Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) stated in a press release last year.
“Currently, information sharing through digital charts and period tracking, including abortions, can be seen, reported, and criminalized once patients leave California. AB 352 and AB 254 will secure this data to keep abortion seekers, providers, and helpers from being arrested.
Additional reproductive laws include the Contraceptive Equity Act of 2022 (Senate Bill 523), which expands coverage of contraceptives by a health care service plan without co-pays for prescriptions at in-network pharmacies.
As these new California laws double down on improving health care access to residents, another new law that took effect seeks to double down on drug penalties related to the opioid crisis. According to state officials, nearly 7,000 Californians died due to opioid-related overdoses in 2022.
Assembly Bill 701, signed into law last year, adds three years to the sentence for dealing more than one kilogram of fentanyl, and sentencing increases as the weight of a substance gets larger. AB 701 also classifies fentanyl on the same list of controlled substances that include heroin and cocaine which carry harsher penalties and sentencing enhancements for drug traffickers and dealers. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that can be fatal if even a small dose is taken.
While this bill aims to target high-level drug traffickers through the criminal justice system, Wendy Hetherington, chief epidemiologist for the County of Riverside Department of Public Health, explained that due to the complex drug situation in the U.S., it will take a “multidisciplinary effort” to address the opioid crisis.
“I know law enforcement needs to work on addressing the cartels and the drugs that are getting into the United States illegally, but then also be supportive of prevention efforts, like harm reduction and treatment and addressing trauma,” Hetherington said.
Harm reduction focuses on engaging with people who use drugs and incorporating prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion strategies to promote health and safer living.
“It has to be a full, comprehensive picture. I think, oftentimes, that focus is on the law enforcement side of control and prevention, when it really has to be a more holistic approach,” Hetherington emphasized.
According to Hetherington, 2023 preliminary data in Riverside County showed a relatively similar or slightly lower rate of overdose data compared to 2022. While official data will not be available until June, this preliminary data hints at a slowing rate of overdoses in the region, which is “good news,” said Hetherington.
This suggests that harm reduction and prevention strategies are working such as expanding the availability of Narcan and ongoing awareness campaigns about the dangers of using fentanyl alone.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 701 last October along with a series of bills that focus on fentanyl treatment and education.
Authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Senate Bill 10 requires local education agencies in California to include protocols for responding to student opioid overdoses in their mandatory school safety plans. The bill, called “Melanie’s Law,” is named after a 15-year-old who died as a result of a fentanyl overdose in her high school bathroom.
“SB 10 was our top priority because fentanyl has left a trail of devastation across California, and our bill establishes a series of concrete solutions to protect young people,” said Senator Cortese in a press release last October.
Melanie’s law also requires the California Department of Education to distribute informational materials containing awareness and safety advice regarding opioids.
This article is published as part of the Commonwealth Health Equity Reporting Fellowship.