AB 403: Medi-Cal: community health worker services.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions.

Under existing law, community health worker (CHW) services are a covered Medi-Cal benefit subject to any necessary federal approvals. CHW is defined as a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and to improve the access and cultural competence of service delivery. Existing law requires a Medi-Cal managed care plan to engage in outreach and education efforts to enrollees with regard to the CHW services benefit, as specified. Existing law requires the department to inform stakeholders about implementation of the benefit.

This bill would require the department to annually conduct an analysis of the CHW services benefit, submit the analysis to the Legislature, and publish the analysis on the department’s internet website, with the first analysis due July 1, 2027.

The bill would require the analysis to include, at a minimum, an assessment of the above-described outreach and education efforts conducted by each Medi-Cal managed care plan, an assessment of the CHW benefit utilization and services, a demographic disaggregation of CHWs providing the CHW benefit and the Medi-Cal beneficiaries receiving services, and data on Medi-Cal reimbursements for CHW services billed to the department, as specified.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 4

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. February 2, 2026From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2. January 31, 2026Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
3. May 23, 2025In committee: Held under submission.
4. April 9, 2025In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
5. March 26, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
6. March 18, 2025Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
7. March 17, 2025From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
8. February 18, 2025Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
9. February 5, 2025From printer. May be heard in committee March 7.
10. February 4, 2025Read first time. To print.