What is this bill about?
SB 418 codifies Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into California law, protecting patients from discrimination by healthcare providers and insurers. It also expands access to prescription hormone therapy by requiring pharmacists to dispense up to a 12-month supply and mandating that health plans and insurers cover these prescriptions when filled at one time.
How does it align with yli’s values?
Within the first month of the Trump administration, the President issued multiple executive orders targeting the safety and wellbeing of transgender Americans. One of them is Executive Order 14187, which was full of blatantly false and wholly misguided information with the intent to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender young people.
SB 418 responds to these threats by taking proactive steps to protect access to care in California. First, by enshrining Section 1557 of the ACA into California state law – including explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity – SB 418 will ensure that California remains a leader in healthcare equity and provide greater legal certainty to healthcare providers and patients, reinforcing that discrimination has no place in California. This provision is critical not only for LGBTQ+ people – particularly transgender individuals – but also for non-English-speaking patients, women seeking reproductive care, people with disabilities, and other communities that have historically faced barriers to healthcare.
Second, SB 418 addresses a growing and urgent barrier to care – disruptions in access to prescription hormone therapy – by authorizing pharmacists to dispense a 12-month supply of prescription hormone therapy.
yli partners with thousands of youth across the state, the majority of whom are low-income youth of color. Many of these young people already struggle to get the health care they need to thrive. We are staunch advocates of health care policy that ensure access to health care for all.
This policy aligns with our Health and Gender Justice Platforms, which envision culturally appropriate, whole-person healthcare for everyone.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just submitted a letter endorsing this bill, and we are showing our support on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Who else supports this bill?
- Women’s Foundation California- Solis Policy Institute (Co-Sponsor)
- California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus (Co-Sponsor)
- California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network (Co-Sponsor)
- Equality California (Co-Sponsor)
- Gender Justice LA (Co-Sponsor)
- Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (Co-Sponsor)
- Poder SF (Co-Sponsor)
- Public Health Advocates (Co-Sponsor)
- The Translatin@ Coalition (Co-Sponsor)
- Transfamily Support Services (Co-Sponsor)
- Alliance for Children’s Rights
- APLA Health
- API Equality-LA
- Bienestar Human Services
- California Chapter of the American College of Emergency
- Physicians
- California Dental Association
- California Immigrant Policy Center
- California Latinas for Reproductive Justice
- Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice
- Children Now
- Clinica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero
- Courage California
- Disability Rights California
- El/La Para Translatinas
- Equality California
- Indivisible CA: StateStrong
- Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
- LGBTQ+ Inclusivity, Visibility, and Empowerment (LIVE)
- Los Angeles LBGT Center
- Mental Health America of California
- Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project
- National Health Law Program
- Nourish California
- Orange County Equality Coalition
- PFLAG Los Angeles
- South Asian Network
- The Children’s Partnership
- The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
- The San Diego LGBT Community Center
- The Trevor Project
- Viet Rainbow of Orange County
- Western Center on Law & Poverty, INC
- Public Health Advocates
- The Trevor Project