[UCRDBR] AB 2556 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Provision

[Departmental Benefits Representatives]

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April 1, 2025

To:
Department Benefits Representatives (DBRs)
From:
Central HR Benefits Office on behalf of UC Office of the President
Re:
AB 2556 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Provision

DBRs, please share this information via your internal listserv.  Do not reply to this mail.  Please send a separate email with questions to benefits at ucr.edu<mailto:benefits at ucr.edu>.

Assembly Bill 2556 (AB 2556) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 26, 2024, and went into effect on January 1, 2025.

Background
Assembly Bill 2556 in California focuses on behavioral health and wellness screenings for children and adolescents aged 8 to 18.  It mandates health care service plans and insurers to provide written or electronic notices to members annually, informing them about the benefits of these screenings.  The purpose of the screenings is to identify potential behavioral health issues, such as depression and anxiety.  Health care service plans and insurers regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) must comply with the requirements as of January 1, 2025.

This mandate does not apply to the University of California (UC) self-funded PPO plans, nor to Medicare plans that do not include enrollees under the age of 18.

Updates on UC Plans' Responses to AB 2556

  *   Health Net: Health Net will distribute the Helping Kids Thrive: Behavioral Health and Emotional Resilience (PDF)<https://uc.healthnetcalifornia.com/content/dam/centene/healthnet/pdfs/groups/childs-behavioral-health-flyer-2025.pdf> flyer to UC Blue & Gold and Postdoc members on April 1, 2025.  The flyer is also available on the UC Blue and Gold<https://uc.healthnetcalifornia.com/> or Postdoc<https://psbp.healthnetcalifornia.com/> microsite, under Plan Details for Behavioral Health.
  *   Kaiser Permanente: The Kaiser Permanente HMO plan submitted its disclosure to DMHC for regulatory approval two weeks ago.  The plan intends to include the disclosure in its annual notification mailer, scheduled to be sent to subscribers later this year.
  *   UC PPO Plans: The Self-Funded Health plans are not required to comply but looking into releasing notices to members with CORE, UC Care and the UC Health Savings Plan.  Another communication will be issued when there is more information.

For more information, health plans members may visit CDC - Children's Mental Health<https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html> or NCSL - Children's Behavioral Health<https://www.ncsl.org/health/childrens-behavioral-health>.


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