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AB 2551

Equity in Higher Education Act: time, place, and manner policies: student code of conduct violations: open forum.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Sade Elhawary

AB 2551 aims to increase transparency and equity in behavioral health care by requiring annual out-of-network cost surveys, cultural competency assessments, and workforce data repo

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Bill Summary · AB 2551

Summary of AB 2551 (2025-2026) Health Care Coverage

Purpose and Intent

AB 2551, introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary, aims to improve access to behavioral health care in California by increasing transparency around out-of-network use and costs, and by advancing cultural competency and health equity. The bill expresses legislative findings about crisis-level access to behavioral health services, disparities among communities of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, and high out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network care. It would require systematic surveying, reporting, and regulatory standards for health care service plans and health insurers.

Key Provisions

1) Behavioral Health Out-of-Network Survey and Reporting

  • Requirements for health care service plans (Knox-Keene plans) and health insurers to conduct annual surveys of enrollees/insureds regarding:
    • The number and prevalence of out-of-network behavioral health care use.
    • Out-of-pocket expenditures for in-network vs. out-of-network behavioral health services (after deductibles, copays, coinsurance).
    • Reasons for seeking out-of-network care (e.g., lack of affordable, timely, geographically accessible, linguistically competent care; care delivered in person or via telehealth).
  • Survey participation would be optional for enrollees/insureds.
  • Plans/insurers must report findings to the relevant departments by May 1, 2028, and annually thereafter.
  • The Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and the Department of Insurance (DOI) would develop standard survey tools/regulations and produce annual summary reports.

2) Cultural Competency and Health Equity Assessment

  • Plans/insurers must conduct an assessment addressing disparities by age, race/ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, income, geography, etc.
  • Plans/insurers would implement training and programs for staff/providers and demonstrate how assessments improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.
  • Optional inclusion of questions on licensing renewal forms to indicate whether a provider contracts with a health plan/insurer and the type of plan/insurer.

3) Workforce Data Reporting Across Healing Arts Boards

  • Amends Section 502 of the Business and Professions Code to require biennial collection/requests of workforce data for licensees/registrants.
  • Data elements include retirement projections, practice area, location, demographics (birth date, race/ethnicity, languages, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status), hours worked (including telehealth), and whether the licensee is contracted with a health plan/insurer and with which type of coverage (commercial, Medi-Cal, Medicare).
  • Data collection is tied to electronic renewals where available; confidentiality/prohibitions on using data for renewal decisions; data released only in aggregate form.
  • Regulatory specifications to be developed in consultation with the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). Final regulations by July 1, 2027; plans to adopt by October 1, 2027.

4) Definitions and Compliance Timeline

  • Adds detailed definitions for “in-network,” “out-of-network,” “out-of-pocket,” “member-level demographic data,” and “culturally and linguistically competent care.”
  • Establishes deadlines for regulations and annual reporting timelines, with initial reporting due by May 1, 2028.

Affected Parties

  • Health care service plans (Knox-Keene plans) and health insurers operating in California.
  • Enrollees and insureds in behavioral health services.
  • Licensees/registrants in healing arts boards (for workforce data collection) and consumers of care.
  • State departments: Department of Managed Health Care, Department of Insurance, and Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) for data handling and reporting.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Regulations to standardize survey tools and demographic reporting standards: finalization targeted by July 1, 2027 (plans/insurers to use standards by Oct 1, 2027; initial survey reports due by May 1, 2028).
  • Biennial and quarterly data collection requirements for workforce data across boards, with reporting to HCAI beginning mid-2022 and ongoing.
  • The act contains a state-mandated-local program impact due to potential penalties for willful violations by plans.

Overall, AB 2551 focuses on transparency of behavioral health access and costs, equity-focused assessment and training, and enhanced workforce data to inform policy and improve access to culturally competent care.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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