New ACEs Equity Act Significantly Expands Access to ACE Screening in California
The ACEs Aware initiative, co-led by the Office of the California Surgeon General (CA-OSG) and state Department of Health Care Services, applauds the recent enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 428, the ACEs Equity Act, which will significantly expand coverage for screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) screening.
SB 428, introduced by State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), requires all health insurance plan contracts, including Knox-Keene-licensed managed care plan contracts and health insurance policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2022, that provide coverage for pediatric services and preventative care, to include coverage for ACE screening.
ACEs, and the resulting toxic stress response that may occur, are a root cause to some of the most common, serious, and costly health challenges facing our society today, including nine out of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States. A recent estimate showed that ACEs cost California $112.5 billion overall annually and may cost the state over $1.2 trillion in the next 10 years in California.
“There couldn’t be a more important time to enact this legislation,” said Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General. “I look forward to continuing this transformative work with ACEs Aware, our government partners and our health care providers as we continue making progress toward our goal of cutting ACEs and toxic stress by half in a generation.”