Bill > AB546

This bill requires large group health care service plans and health insurance policies (with some exceptions like Medicare supplement policies) to cover one portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifier for enrollees or insureds who are pregnant or diagnosed with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but only when they are residing in or displaced from a county under a local or state emergency due to wildfires, and the purifier is prescribed by their healthcare provider. The HEPA purifier must be capable of removing at least 99 percent of airborne particles that are 10 microns in size, and its cost cannot exceed $500 (adjusted for inflation). The coverage requirement applies to plans issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, and is applicable to emergencies declared on or after January 1, 2025. Health plans and insurers must provide notice to affected enrollees within 30 days of an emergency declaration. The bill is considered an urgency statute due to the potential health risks faced by pregnant women and individuals with respiratory conditions during wildfires, with the aim of mitigating adverse health outcomes by providing access to air purification technology.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB546