- Edgar Guerra
- Communications Director
- 916-319-2011
- Edgar.Guerra@asm.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) announced today that her legislation, Assembly Bill 577, aimed at protecting the rights of patients with serious illnesses such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, has passed out of the Assembly Health Committee and is now on its way to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 577 is a critical measure to put medical decisions back where they belong: with physicians and their patients. It protects the right of doctors to administer and dispense vital medications — including injections, infusions, and oral drugs — directly to their patients when medically necessary. The bill is designed to strengthen patient safety, preserve continuity of care, and ensure timely, personalized treatment.
Across California, a troubling trend has emerged: health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers are increasingly imposing policies that prevent doctors from providing necessary treatments directly in their offices. These restrictions force patients, many of whom are medically vulnerable, to travel to off-site infusion centers or wait for delayed deliveries, often at great personal risk and inconvenience.
AB 577 restores the role of the physician in determining the most appropriate and safest location for patient care. It ensures patient consent, cost transparency, and limits the scope to in-network providers, while exempting hospital outpatient facilities — balancing patient protection with operational clarity.
“I am pleased that AB 577 has cleared this important legislative hurdle,” said Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson. “Patients facing serious illnesses deserve timely, safe, and personalized medical care without unnecessary burdens or interference from insurance-driven policies. This bill will help safeguard the vital relationship between patients and their healthcare providers.”
“We are grateful to Assemblywoman Wilson for her leadership in introducing this bill, which will help protect oncology care in California from unnecessary meddling from PBMs and insurance corporations into chemotherapy and other cancer care treatments,” said co-sponsors of the bill Dr. Millie Das, President of the Association of Northern California Oncologists, and Dr. Ashkan Lashkari, President of the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California. “Protecting the doctor-patient relationship in oncology is crucial to saving lives.”
“Treatment decisions should remain between a patient and their healthcare provider and should not be impacted by insurance and PBM profit-focused schemes,” said Samy Metyas, President of the California Rheumatology Alliance, which cosponsors the legislation.
The bill is supported by established medical associations, including the Association of Northern California Oncologists, the Medical Oncology Association of Southern California, and the California Rheumatology Alliance.
AB 577 now advances to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
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