SACRAMENTO—Gov. Jerry Brown today signed two bills authored by Assembly Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins. AB 635 allows California to take the first step toward state-funded medical interpretation services for Medi-Cal patients with limited English proficiency. AB 1795 helps more low-income Californians become eligible for state-covered screening and treatment for breast cancer and cervical cancer.
AB 635 requires the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to conduct a study and make recommendations for the best way to provide medical interpretation services for Medi-Cal patients who need them. Under the bill, DHCS would then initiate a pilot project to test the recommendations. The current state budget includes $3 million for DHCS to carry out these activities.
“I want to thank Governor Brown not only for signing this important bill but also signing a budget that includes the money necessary to fund this vital exploratory program,” said Atkins (D-San Diego). “Too often, patients rely on family members – sometimes children – to help them communicate with their doctors. Providing patients and doctors with professional translators will improve healthcare for many Californians.”
More than 40 percent of Californians speak a language other than English at home. Almost 7 million Californians are estimated to speak English “less than very well.” Research finds that language barriers can contribute to inadequate patient evaluation and diagnosis, lack of appropriate and/or timely treatment, or other medical errors that can jeopardize patient safety and lead to unnecessary procedures and costs.
AB 1795 fixes two arbitrary barriers to coverage:
- The state’s Every Woman Counts program provides mammograms to low-income and under-insured women. But, currently, women under 40 who show symptoms for breast cancer can’t receive a screening, even though breast cancer can be far more aggressive in younger patients—and more likely to lead to death if they are not diagnosed early. AB 1795 will make sure all symptomatic women are covered.
- Right now, patients who experience a recurrence of cancer in the same body tissue as the first cancer receive less coverage under the state’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program than patients who experience a second cancer in a different part of the body. AB 1795 will make sure these groups of patients are covered equally.
“Under today’s practices, some people are falling through the cracks in these two state programs, and there is no good reason for it,” Atkins said. “AB 1795 will get these Californians the care they need and help them rest a lot easier, knowing they’ll be covered.”
