October 19, 2021
Hobbies: Public health

California recently enacted SB 428 (Hurtado), the ACEs Equity Act, to significantly expand health insurance coverage for screening for childhood adverse experiences (ACE).

The California Medical Association (CMA) co-sponsored the bill with Children Now, and it applies to all health care plan contracts, including Medi-Cal managed care plan contracts and policies. health insurance issued, amended or renewed as of January. 1, 2022, which covers pediatric services and preventive care.

ACEs are traumatic childhood experiences that can impact people of all racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and the latest research indicates that two-thirds of American adults have been exposed to at least one ACE.

ACEs, and the resulting toxic stress response, are responsible for some of the most common, serious and costly health problems, including nine of the top ten causes of death nationwide.

A recent estimate shows that ACEs cost California more than $ 112 billion per year, or $ 1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

“There couldn’t be a more important time to enact this legislation,” said California Surgeon General, Nadine Burke Harris, MD “Although the COVID-19 pandemic itself is not one of the traditional criteria of ACE, she was unique in creating the two main ingredients for the development of the toxic stress response by one, acting as a major stressor while two, simultaneously cutting off access to many usual sources of tampon care needed to help children, youth and adults regulate their stress responses.

The legislation builds on the work of the ACEs Aware initiative, which provides Medi-Cal providers with training, screening tools, clinical protocols, and payment for screening for ACEs in children and adults.

As of January 2020, Medi-Cal providers have screened more than half a million patients.

Get ACEs Aware Training Today (Free!)

The CMA is proud to be a recipient of an ACEs Aware grant and encourages all physicians, especially medical providers, to receive the free two hour training to learn how to screen, assess risks and evidence-based care can effectively address toxic stress.

By screening for ACEs, providers can better determine the likelihood that a patient is at increased health risk due to a toxic stress response, a critical step in the response with trauma-informed care that connects patients. to a supportive care network to mitigate the impact of ACEs.

Physicians can receive Continuing Medical Education (CME) 2.0 and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) 2.0 credits upon completion – and can receive reimbursement for providing ACE screening to Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

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