Medi-Cal
The Senate Health Committee voted 9-0 to pass AB 959 by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) and rereferred the bill to the Senate Appropriations Committee (Bill status, 6/14). The bill was amended to require acute care facilities that are eligible for Medi-Cal supplemental reimbursements to maintain an agreement with the Department of Health Services. The legislation would allow publicly owned or operated hospitals, health clinics or veterans' homes to apply for the supplemental reimbursement (Bill text, 6/8).
AB 3019 by Assembly member Lynn Daucher (R-Brea) was amended to appropriate $593,000 from the general fund to hire a staff member and technical expert contractor aid in the development of a Community Options and Assessment Protocol. COAP is intended to minimize duplication in assessments of Medi-Cal home- and community-based services. The measure would require the Health and Human Services Agency to enter into competitively bid contracts for the development of COAP and requires the agency to report to the Legislature on project outcomes (Bill text, 6/14). The bill was rereferred to the Senate Health Committee (StateNet, Subscription required) A hearing was scheduled for June 21 (Bill status, 6/14).