Medi-Cal
AB 3000 by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) was amended to state that it is the Legislature's intent that an independent, not-for-profit foundation or other organization evaluate programs funded by a federally approved demonstration project waiver to expand Medi-Cal managed care plan enrollment. The bill would enact the Health Care Coverage Initiative Act to increase the number of California residents who have health insurance and prohibit the use of general fund money for the project. The bill would require the Department of Health Services to monitor the programs (Bill text, 5/26). The Assembly unanimously approved the bill and it will now move to the Senate (StateNet, Subscription required).
AB 1948 by Assembly member Cindy Montanez (D-Mission Hills) was amended to require the Department of Health Services to study the feasibility of using an electronic application to allow a person, on behalf of a child, to simultaneously pre-enroll and apply for enrollment in Medi-Cal or Healthy Families without submitting a follow-up application. The amended bill would require the study to be submitted to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2008. Originally, the bill would have required DHS to modify the current electronic application system to allow people to simultaneously pre-enroll and apply to enroll children in the programs (Bill text, 5/30). The bill was approved 54-26 by the Assembly and sent to the Senate (StateNet, Subscription required).
AB 2979 by Assembly member Keith Stuart Richman (R-Granada Hills) was amended to eliminate a provision that would have authorized the Department of Health Services to implement a program that would allow eligible residents in certain counties to receive a variety of services to maximize community living. The bill would authorize DHS to launch a Medicare HMO Wraparound pilot project that would provide a coordinated system of care and benefits for state residents dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal who are receiving Medicare and Medi-Cal HMO Wraparound benefits. The bill would authorize the pilot project until Jan. 1, 2013 (Bill text, 5/30). The Assembly approved the legislation 77-0 and it now moves to Senate (StateNet, Subscription required).