We’re dedicated to providing objective legislative analysis

Established in 2002 to implement the provisions of its authorizing statute, the California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP) responds to requests from the State Legislature to provide independent analysis of the medical, financial, and public health impacts of proposed health insurance benefit mandates and repeals.

A team of analytic staff at the University of California, Berkeley works with a task force of faculty from several campuses of the University of California, as well as actuarial consultants to complete each analysis during a 60-day period, usually before the Legislature begins formal consideration of a mandate bill. A strict conflict of interest policy ensures that the analyses are undertaken without financial or other interests that could bias the results.

A National Advisory Council, made up of experts from outside the state of California and designed to provide balanced representation among groups with an interest in health insurance benefit mandates, reviews draft studies to assure their quality before they are transmitted to the Legislature. Each report summarizes sound scientific evidence relevant to the proposed mandate but does not make recommendations, deferring policy decision-making to the Legislature. The State funds this work through a small annual assessment of health plans and insurers in California.

This website provides full access to all CHBRP analyses and the legislation they examine. It also announces new requests from the Legislature and provides instructions about how interested parties can submit evidence they believe CHBRP should consider in its analyses, and other resources that describe how CHBRP does its work.

How you can submit information

All interested parties who believe they have scientific evidence relevant to CHBRP's analysis of proposed health insurance benefit mandates as described in CHBRP's authorizing statute are encouraged to provide that information to CHBRP's staff. In order for CHBRP to meet its statutory 60-day deadline for its analyses, however, it must receive this information within 14 days of announcing a legislative request on this website at Recent Legislative Requests.

This page will indicate the exact date by which all such evidence must be received to be included in CHBRP's analysis. Instructions for submitting evidence to be considered as part of CHBRP's analysis are provided below:

By U.S. Mail or Private Overnight Delivery

Garen Corbett, Director
University of California, Berkeley
California Health Benefits Review Program (CHBRP)
Berkeley, CA 94720-3116

By email

You can reach us at info@chbrp.org - please put “Attention Garen Corbett, RE: SB xxx” or “AB xxx” in the subject line.

If you have any questions, please contact CHBRP’s staff at 510-664-5306.