AB1843 - Communicable diseases: hepatitis C.

Amended IN Senate August 26, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 21, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 08, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 02, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1843 Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary February 11, 2026 An act to add Section 1342.77 1342.78 to the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 10123.1937 10123.1938 to the Insurance Code, relating to public health. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1843, as amended, Elhawary. Communicable diseases: hepatitis C. 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 also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law generally prohibits a health care service plan or health insurer from subjecting antiretroviral drugs that are medically necessary for the prevention of HIV/AIDS to prior authorization or step therapy. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan and health insurer from subjecting direct-acting antiviral drugs that are medically necessary for the treatment of hepatitis C to prior authorization. The bill would specify that these provisions do not require a health care service plan or health insurer to cover all therapeutically equivalent versions without prior authorization, as specified. Because a violation of these provisions by a health care service plan would be a crime, this 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. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 1342.77 is added to the Health and Safety Code , to read: 1342.77. SECTION 1. Section 1342.78 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 1342.78. (a) A health care service plan shall not subject direct-acting antiviral drugs that are medically necessary for the treatment of hepatitis C to prior authorization, except as provided in subdivision (b). (b) If the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved one or more therapeutic equivalents of a pangenotypic drug, device, or product for the treatment of hepatitis C, this section does not require a health care service plan to cover all of the therapeutically equivalent versions without prior authorization, if at least one pangenotypic and therapeutically equivalent version is covered without prior authorization. (c) This section does not apply to Medi-Cal managed care contracts with the State Department of Health Care Services entered into pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of, or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 14200) of, Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. SEC. 2. Section 10123.1937 is added to the Insurance Code , to read: 10123.1937. SEC. 2. Section 10123.1938 is added to the Insurance Code, to read: 10123.1938. (a) A health insurer shall not subject direct-acting antiviral drugs that are medically necessary for the treatment of hepatitis C to prior authorization, except as provided in subdivision (b). (b) If the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved one or more therapeutic equivalents of a pangenotypic drug, device, or product for the treatment of hepatitis C, this section does not require a health insurer to cover all of the therapeutically equivalent versions without prior authorization, if at least one pangenotypic and therapeutically equivalent version is covered without prior authorization. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.