Law Would Let Clinics Bill Medi-Cal For Two Visits In One Day To Help With Mental Health Services Costs
Right now, if a patient receives mental health services on the same day as medical services, the clinic can't bill twice and has to absorb the extra cost.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Legislation Would Allow Health Centers To Bill Mental And Medical Visits On The Same Day
For years, a number of local health centers have spent a great deal of money and effort making sure a therapist or psychologist was staffed just down the hall from a primary care doctor — an attempt to catch signs of depression, post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues as early as possible. That effort is part of a larger health care trend driving the integration of medical, mental and dental health services. But in California, federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics are not allowed to bill medical and mental health services on the same day. The state Department of Health Care Services is only allowed to reimburse clinics for one doctor’s visit. That means the clinic has to absorb the cost of one of the visits. But lawmakers in Sacramento are trying to change that. (Espinoza, 4/16)
In other news from Sacramento —
Los Angeles Times:
Some Republican Lawmakers, Once Critical Of Marijuana, Now Think Highly Of It. Here’s Why
States that have passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana in recent years appear to have found some new, unexpected supporters: Republican politicians. Since voters began to pass recreational marijuana measures in 2012, the pro-pot movement has seen swift support from many Democrats, with Republicans often pushing back against legalization. Those expressing concern or opposition have cited, among other things, the potential for pot to be a gateway drug, and they have regularly sided with law enforcement, which has established a unified front against recreational marijuana. (Lee, 4/17)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Trying Tasks, Meager Wages: Caregivers Lobby For Better Pay
The coalition that Guiding Hands is part of is petitioning the state Department of Developmental Services to increase pay for the estimated 40,000 “direct support professionals” who care for nearly 300,000 developmentally disabled people in California. State Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) recently sent a letter asking that $25 million in “bridge funding” be added to next year’s operating budget to help “address operating cost pressures arising from extraordinary cost-of-living increases in each of California’s major population centers.” (Sisson, 4/16)