California Health Benefit Review Program: extension.

Senator Weber Pierson's legislation extends California's Health Benefit Review Program through 2033, authorizing the University of California to continue evaluating proposed health insurance benefit mandates while increasing the program's funding capacity.

The bill reauthorizes annual assessments on health insurers and health care service plans from fiscal years 2026-27 through 2032-33, raising the total annual assessment cap from $2.2 million to $3.2 million. These fees support the University of California's analysis of legislation that would mandate or repeal health insurance benefits. The analyses examine public health effects, medical impacts, and financial implications, including effects on premiums, health care costs, and state insurance programs.

Under the measure, the University must provide these analyses to legislative committees within 60 days of request and make them publicly available online. The program's mandate now explicitly includes examining health disparities related to social determinants, gender, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity when analyzing public health impacts. The bill removes references to the Healthy Families Program from the financial impact analysis requirements while maintaining assessment of effects on other state health programs like Medi-Cal.