CA AB 2571
vetoedReimbursement for pharmacist services.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 2571 pass?
No. CA AB 2571 passed the legislature but was vetoed. Latest recorded action (2026-09-27): Vetoed by Governor.
What is CA AB 2571 about?
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which health care services are provided to low-income individuals pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, pharmacist services are a benefit under the Medi-Cal program, subject to federal approval, and the rate of reimbursement for pharmacist services is 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, except for medication therapy management (MTM) pharmacist services. Existing law requires the department to implement an MTM reimbursement methodology relating to the dispensing of qualified specialty drugs by an eligible contracting pharmacy, which would be intended to supplement Medi-Cal payments to eligible pharmacies for MTM pharmacist services provided in conjunction with certain specialty drug therapy categories. This bill would additionally require the rate of reimbursement for advanced pharmacist practitioner services to be no less than 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, including MTM pharmacist services. The bill would, subject to, among other things, federal approval, require advanced pharmacist practitioners to be recognized as health care providers at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics for reimbursement purposes under the Medi-Cal program. The bill would require the department to implement an MTM reimbursement methodology relating to the use of drugs to ensure that Medi-Cal payments are only made to eligible advanced pharmacist practitioners or pharmacies, including those operating at federally qualified health centers or rural health clinics, for MTM pharmacist services provided in conjunction with certain specialty drug therapy categories. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer that offers coverage for pharmacist services to pay or reimburse the cost of the service performed by a pharmacist at an in-network pharmacy or a pharmacist at an out-of-network pharmacy if the insurer has an out-of-network pharmacy benefit. Existing law authorizes this payment or reimbursement when specified conditions are met, including that the coverage otherwise provides reimbursement for identical services performed by other licensed health care providers. This bill would additionally require those health care service plans and disability insurers to pay or reimburse the cost of the service performed by a pharmacist enrolled as a provider with the plan or insurer. The bill would specify for these purposes that a pharmacist includes pharmacists who provide services at a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic. The bill would authorize payment or reimbursement if the coverage otherwise provides reimbursement for similar services performed by other licensed health care providers, among other requirements. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements relative to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Who sponsors CA AB 2571?
Flora is the primary sponsor of CA AB 2571.
Description
Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which health care services are provided to low-income individuals pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, pharmacist services are a benefit under the Medi-Cal program, subject to federal approval, and the rate of reimbursement for pharmacist services is 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, except for medication therapy management (MTM) pharmacist services. Existing law requires the department to implement an MTM reimbursement methodology relating to the dispensing of qualified specialty drugs by an eligible contracting pharmacy, which would be intended to supplement Medi-Cal payments to eligible pharmacies for MTM pharmacist services provided in conjunction with certain specialty drug therapy categories. This bill would additionally require the rate of reimbursement for advanced pharmacist practitioner services to be no less than 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, including MTM pharmacist services. The bill would, subject to, among other things, federal approval, require advanced pharmacist practitioners to be recognized as health care providers at federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics for reimbursement purposes under the Medi-Cal program. The bill would require the department to implement an MTM reimbursement methodology relating to the use of drugs to ensure that Medi-Cal payments are only made to eligible advanced pharmacist practitioners or pharmacies, including those operating at federally qualified health centers or rural health clinics, for MTM pharmacist services provided in conjunction with certain specialty drug therapy categories. Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care, and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan or disability insurer that offers coverage for pharmacist services to pay or reimburse the cost of the service performed by a pharmacist at an in-network pharmacy or a pharmacist at an out-of-network pharmacy if the insurer has an out-of-network pharmacy benefit. Existing law authorizes this payment or reimbursement when specified conditions are met, including that the coverage otherwise provides reimbursement for identical services performed by other licensed health care providers. This bill would additionally require those health care service plans and disability insurers to pay or reimburse the cost of the service performed by a pharmacist enrolled as a provider with the plan or insurer. The bill would specify for these purposes that a pharmacist includes pharmacists who provide services at a federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic. The bill would authorize payment or reimbursement if the coverage otherwise provides reimbursement for similar services performed by other licensed health care providers, among other requirements. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements relative to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
- Introduced
- 2026-05-20
- Latest action
- 2026-09-27 — Vetoed by Governor.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Floraauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-27
Vetoed by Governor.
executive-veto
2026-09-04
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
executive-receipt
2026-08-27
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-27
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6678.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-25
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-25
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-24
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-20
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-08-19
Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-3
2026-08-19
From special consent calendar.
2026-08-18
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2026-08-13
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-13
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-06-15
In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
referral-committee
2026-06-08
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-04
From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 3).
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-05-20
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-05-06
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2026-04-16
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-04-16
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 68. Noes 0. Page 4683.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-04-09
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
reading-1,reading-2
2026-04-08
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 8).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-03-25
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-03-09
Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
referral-committee
2026-02-21
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2026-02-20
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
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Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-03-24 · pass · 16-0
Member-level votes (16)
- Caloza: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Addis: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Chen: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Patel: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Bonta: yes
Do pass. To Consent Calendar.
2026-04-08 · pass · 14-0
Member-level votes (15)
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Krell: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Fong: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Hoover: yes
- Solache: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Ta: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Calderon: other
AB 2571 Flora Consent Calendar Second Day
2026-04-16 · pass · 68-0
Member-level votes (80)
- Patel: yes
- Bryan: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Ta: yes
- Lee: yes
- Elhawary: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Castillo: yes
- Macedo: yes
- Fong: yes
- Addis: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Hadwick: yes
- Haney: yes
- Wilson: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Chen: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Jackson: yes
- Lackey: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Gallagher: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Solache: yes
- Johnson: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- DeMaio: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Bennett: yes
- Patterson: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Ortega: yes
- Ward: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Soria: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Krell: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Wallis: yes
- Davies: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Gabriel: yes
- Bains: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Sanchez: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Flora: other
- Berman: other
- Hart: other
- Papan: other
- Arambula: other
- Dixon: other
- Bonta: other
- Schiavo: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Irwin: other
- Hoover: other
- Harabedian: other
Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
2026-06-03 · pass · 9-0
Member-level votes (11)
- Grove: yes
- Padilla: yes
- Menjivar: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Pérez: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Gonzalez: yes
- Rubio: other
- Smallwood-Cuevas: other
Placed on suspense file
2026-06-15 · pass · 7-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Seyarto: yes
- Wahab: yes
- Cervantes: yes
- Richardson: yes
- Grayson: yes
- Dahle: yes
- Cabaldon: yes
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
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