DMHC California plans: Continued Access to COVID-19 Tests, Vaccines and Treatment with No Cost-Sharing

Health plans regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) must cover COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatment with no health plan prior authorization or enrollee cost-sharing. Enrollee cost-sharing includes co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles or other enrollee out-of-pocket costs not including health plan premiums.

California state laws add six months to the federal COVID-19 public health emergency requirements on health plans to continue covering COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatment from any licensed provider (inor out-of-network) with no prior authorization or enrollee cost sharing. The public health emergency ends on May 11, 2023, and state laws extend these requirements for six months through November 11, 2023.