Medi-Cal

The Assembly Health Committee approved SB 1448 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles) (Bill history, 6/21). The bill was amended to require DHS to identify Medi-Cal programs that are most effective in extending health insurance coverage to the uninsured and allocate federal funds to such programs. The bill was amended to require DHS to select five, rather than three, programs to receive funding. Allocations would be made for three years and participating programs would be required to provide funding to receive federal money. The amended bill would allocate $200,000 from the state general fund for the program and $200,000 from the Federal Trust Fund to DHS for the program (Bill text, 6/15). The bill was referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee (Bill status, 6/21).

The Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee passed AB 1840 by Assembly member Jerome Horton (D-Ingelwood) (StateNet, Subscription required) The bill was amended to require the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to include in a report information submitted by employers detailing whether they offer health care coverage to employees and what that coverage entails. The bill would require DHS and MRMIB to identify all businesses that employ 25 or more workers who receive public health benefits. A report would be due to the Legislature by March 15, 2007 (Bill text, 6/19). The bill was rereferred to the Senate Appropriations Committee (StateNet, Subscription required).

SB 1398 by Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Santa Rosa) was amended to require DHS to provide information about reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal managed care plans in the governor's annual May budget revision. The amended version of the bill would bar DHS from adjusting reimbursement rates for the plans without first consulting the Department of Managed Health Care (Bill text, 6/20). An Assembly Health Committee hearing was scheduled for June 27 (Bill status, 6/20).

The Senate Health Committee approved AB 1948 by Assembly member Cindy Montanez (D-Mission Hills) (StateNet, Subscription required). The legislation was amended to require DHS to study the technological feasibility of modifying the online application for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families to allow individuals to simultaneously pre-enroll and apply for enrollment without submitting a follow-up paper application. The bill would require the study to be provided to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2008 (Bill text, 6/19). The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee (StateNet, Subscription required).

SB 1622 by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Norwalk) was amended to require the Labor Commissioner to enforce provisions of the bill that would require employers to provide information about Medi-Cal and Healthy Families eligibility to employees. Under the legislation, the Department of Health Services and the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board would be required to develop an information document about enrollment and eligibility for the programs (Bill text, 6/21). The bill was rereferred to the Assembly Health Committee and a hearing was scheduled for June 27 (Bill status, 6/21).