Bill > AB1906

This bill requires most state-regulated health insurance plans and health care service plans, as well as the Medi-Cal program—California’s public health insurance for low-income residents—to fully cover cervical cancer screenings without any out-of-pocket costs like copayments or deductibles starting on January 1, 2027. Specifically, the legislation mandates that this cost-free coverage must include traditional tests like Pap smears as well as United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized or cleared home test kits, which allow patients to collect their own screening samples outside of a clinical setting when ordered by a healthcare provider. To help expand access, the bill ensures that these home tests and clinical screenings are provided without cost sharing for Medi-Cal beneficiaries and private insurance enrollees alike, subject to federal rules and specific health plan guidelines, thereby making preventative cervical cancer screenings more convenient and affordable.