LEGISLATIVE NEWS
Stay up to date on legislative issues that impact all of us in California and around the country.
Date: March 2023
ANOTHER SINGLE PAYER BILL - OPPOSE SB 770
In the latest CAHIP Connection we informed members of a single sentence "spot bill," AB 1690 was introduced with INTENT language to advance single payer later this legislative session. That bill reads in total: "This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to guarantee accessible, affordable, equitable, and high-quality health care for all Californians through a comprehensive universal single-payer health care program that benefits every resident of the state."
This week a different spot bill, SB 770, was gutted and amended with language that directs "the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency to pursue waiver discussions with the federal government with the objective of funding a unified health care financing system in California."
Date: December 2022
Congress Passes SECURE 2.0
The SECURE 2.0 retirement legislation passed House of Representatives on Friday as part of a $1.65 trillion spending bill, moving to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
Voting on the bill was split along party lines, passing by a vote of 225 to 201, with one lawmaker voting present. The bill cleared the Senate on Thursday.
Biden has until December 30 to sign the legislation because both the House and Senate this week also passed measures extending the deadline for funding the federal government. As a result, there is time for the yearlong spending measure to be formally processed and sent to the president, avoiding a government shutdown.
Date: October 2022
More Families Will Spend Less on Health Care Premiums Thanks to a Fix for the “Family Glitch”
Just in time for open enrollment, the federal government finalized a rule, effective December 12, 2022, that fixes the “family glitch” ? a policy that barred millions of workers’ family members from receiving subsidized health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. Due to this change, millions of people could be newly eligible to buy ACA coverage and receive financial help with premiums and deductibles. Nearly half of those newly eligible are families of low-income workers (those earning between 100-250 percent of the federal poverty level, or between $28,000-$70,000 a year for a family of four).
Legislative Programs
Each of the local chapters of the California Agents and Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP) are supposed to elect a Legislative Chair. Local chapter Legislative Chairs serve as the primary liaison between the local chapters’ members and legislative efforts at the State and national level.
Annually, CAHIP’s House of Delegates elects a Vice President of Legislation to serve on the CAHIP Executive Board. CAHIP’s Vice President of Legislation takes office on July 1 and is responsible for communicating with local chapter Legislative Chairs and coordinating grassroots legislative efforts.
Usually, the Vice President of Legislation will schedule regular monthly conference calls to keep local chapter Legislative Chairs informed. If a local chapter Legislative Chair doesn’t have the schedule for conference calls, he/she should call or Email CAHIP’s Vice President of Legislation to obtain the calendar of events and activities for the year.
The entire CAHIP Board then votes to accept or reject the Legislative Council’s recommendations. As an organization, CAHIP has no official position until the CAHIP Board votes to take a position.
GET INVOLVED
There are many ways to get involved in our legislative advocacy program, and make no mistake about it - your active participation is critical and greatly appreciated. Monetary contributions to our state and national Political Action Committees, CAHIP PAC and NABIP PAC are the lifeblood of our success and need not be spectacular to make a difference. We also need boots on the ground in your local communities, as well as your input and insights about issues that affect our clients and their families. Please see below and explore these are the many other ways you can help us make a difference on behalf of health care consumers.
CAHIP PAC Board
Local chapters elect PAC Chairs who are responsible for educating members about the importance of the PAC.
Meet Our Team
Cal Advocates and our Legislative Council
Our Issues
Priority Bills
VoterVoice
Use VoterVoice, Find Your Legislator, Adopt-A-Legislator Program
