Bill > SB278

This bill modifies existing California law regarding HIV test result confidentiality, specifically for Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) beneficiaries. The bill allows healthcare providers to disclose HIV test results that identify a specific Medi-Cal patient to the patient's assigned Medi-Cal managed care plan and to external quality review organizations without obtaining the patient's written authorization. This disclosure is permitted solely for the purpose of administering quality improvement programs, such as value-based payment programs and healthy behavior incentive initiatives designed to improve HIV care. Additionally, the bill allows Medi-Cal managed care plans to receive non-identifying HIV test results without patient authorization, which can be shared with state Department of Health Care Services staff for similar quality improvement purposes. The bill maintains strict protections against broader disclosure, ensuring that HIV test results cannot be further shared with other healthcare service plans without explicit patient consent, thus preserving patient privacy while enabling targeted healthcare quality improvements.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Health and Social Services, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB278