Governor’s Briefs: No Out-of-Pocket Costs for Abortion Services; Japan Partner to Bolster Relations, Tackle Climate Change

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation to Eliminate Out-of-Pocket Costs for Abortion Services

SACRAMENTO – Amid continued attacks on reproductive freedom throughout the country, Gov. Gavin Newsom March 22, signed SB 245, the Abortion Accessibility Act by Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortion services, ensuring cost is not a barrier to accessing care.

SB 245 prohibits health plans and insurers from imposing a co-pay, deductible, or other cost-sharing requirement for abortion and abortion-related services. The legislation also prohibits health plans and insurers from imposing utilization management practices on covered abortion and abortion-related services. California is one of six states that require health insurance plans to cover abortion services, but out-of-pocket costs for patients can exceed a thousand dollars.

In October, Gov. Newsom announced the Administration’s participation in the California Future of Abortion Council, to collaborate with advocates, policymakers, providers, patients and others on ways to advance the state’s reproductive freedom leadership. The council’s recommendations included making abortion care more affordable and accessible by eliminating cost-sharing through the passage and enactment of today’s legislation. 

The Governor’s budget proposal, the California Blueprint, includes measures to protect the right to safe and accessible reproductive health care services. The California Blueprint supports California’s clinical infrastructure for reproductive health services by offering scholarships and loan repayments to health care providers that commit to providing reproductive health care services, and support for reproductive health care facility infrastructure, including enhancements to their IT and security systems. It would also increase flexibility for Medi-Cal providers to provide clinically appropriate medication abortion services by removing requirements for in-person follow-up visits and ultrasounds if they are not medically necessary. The Blueprint also includes funds to support Covered California’s One-Dollar Premium Subsidy program, which subsidizes the cost of Covered California health plans due to federal policy concerning abortion coverage. 

Details: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

California and Japan Partner to Bolster Economic Relations and Trade, Tackle Climate Change

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Koji Tomita March 21, to strengthen economic cooperation and investment between California and Japan. The meeting also intended to build on previous engagement with a framework for how to tackle climate change and accelerate the transition to clean transportation together. The signed memorandum of cooperation  or MOC covers climate change, trade and investment, renewable energy, energy storage, business exchange, zero-emission vehicles or ZEVs, high-speed rail or HSR and other passenger rail services, public transportation and water conservation and management. 

This MOC includes a flexible framework between California and Japan in order to focus on two common objectives — strengthening climate-related activities and promoting renewable, clean energy; and deepening our trade and investment relationship, including providing opportunities for business exchange and exploring investments in clean energy vehicles. This MOC builds on the previous version signed in 2014 by Governor Brown.

This MOC will allow California and Japan to cooperate on projects, information sharing, research and development, investments and more in the following areas: climate change; trade and investment; renewable energy; energy storage; business exchange; zero-emission vehicles; high-speed rail and other public transportation services; and water conservation and management.

Details: www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CA-Japan-MOC