AB 570 by Assembly Member Santiago Allows Californians to Add Parents to Health Plans

(Sacramento, CA) – AB 570, the “Parent Healthcare Act”, has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. Authored by Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), this bill allows adult children to save a significant amount annually by adding their dependent parents or stepparents to their healthcare plan in the individual market beginning on January 1, 2023. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is the sponsor of the bill and supporters include Health Access California, the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Justice in Aging, the Western Center on Law and Poverty and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).

“Healthcare access was already an issue pre COVID-19 with nearly 3 million Californians uninsured, but COVID-19 has created an even more urgent need,” said Assembly Member Miguel Santiago. “Millions of Californians have lost healthcare coverage due to the pandemic. AB 570 will provide health coverage to more Californians by allowing individuals to cover their dependent parents, including dependent parents who are undocumented immigrants. This will save working families a significant amount each year and helps expand healthcare access to as many Californians as possible.”

“The signing of the Parent Healthcare Act will help more families care for their parents the way they cared for us,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “As we continue to advance policies to ensure every Californian has health coverage, AB 570 will help a group of vulnerable people who are falling through the cracks, reducing insurance costs for these families and giving them peace of mind. I thank Governor Newsom for recognizing the need for this legislation to create a new pathway for older Californians to access critical health care.”

Currently, children can be added as dependents to their parents’ health insurance coverage but this protection does not extend to dependent parents. By requiring health insurance companies in the individual market to offer dependent coverage to older adults, AB 570 will allow families to cap their out-of-pocket costs, thus reducing overall health care costs for working families.

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committees on Health, Public Safety, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.