AB 843: Health care coverage: language access.

Official summary

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

(1)Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance, which is under the control of the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law requires the Department of Managed Health Care and the commissioner to develop and adopt regulations establishing standards and requirements to provide enrollees and insureds with appropriate access to language assistance in obtaining health care services and covered benefits. Existing law requires the Department of Managed Health Care and commissioner, in developing the regulations, to require health care service plans and health insurers to assess the linguistic needs of the enrollee and insured population, and to provide for translation and interpretation for medical services, as indicated.

This bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to each individual with limited English proficiency, including companions with limited English proficiency, eligible to receive services or likely to be directly affected by its programs and activities. The bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to offer a qualified interpreter or to utilize a qualified translator when interpretation or translation services are required, as specified. The bill would prohibit a health care service plan or health insurer from requiring an individual with limited English proficiency to provide or pay for the costs of their own interpreter. The bill would require a health care service plan or health insurer to comply with specified requirements when providing remote interpreting services. The bill would make a health care service plan or health insurer that violates these provisions liable for administrative penalties, as specified.

(2)Existing law requires certain vital documents containing enrollee- or insured-specific information to include a written notice of the availability of interpretation services in certain threshold languages. Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer, upon request, to provide a written translation of those documents within a specified timeframe. For those documents that also relate to expedited plan review of a grievance for a case involving an imminent and serious threat to the health of the patient, existing law authorizes a health care service plan or health insurer to satisfy the requirement by providing notice of the availability of oral interpretation services.

This bill would authorize a health care service plan or health insurer to satisfy the notice requirement by taking reasonable steps to inform the enrollee or insured of any required actions, including by providing a sight translation of a document.

(3)Existing law requires a health care service plan or health insurer that advertises or markets products in a non-English language, as specified, to provide specified documents in the same non-English language.

This bill would add to the list of documents required to be provided in the advertised or marketed non-English language, (A) notices related to any termination of coverage and change in covered services, (B) complaint forms to file a grievance or appeal, and (C) communications related to costs and payment of covered services, as specified.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“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. January 22, 2026Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file.
2. October 1, 2025Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
3. October 1, 2025Vetoed by Governor.
4. September 22, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
5. September 10, 2025Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 66. Noes 1. Page 3228.).
6. September 9, 2025In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
7. September 9, 2025Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 1. Page 2656.).
8. September 8, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. September 5, 2025Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
10. August 29, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 29, 2025From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 29).
12. August 18, 2025In committee: Referred to suspense file.