Overdue Medi-Cal Payments Set To Go Out After Record Impasse
Nursing homes, hospitals, clinics and other health providers will be among the first state contractors and vendors to receive payments that were delayed because of the state budget impasse, the Sacramento Bee reports.
After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed the budget on Tuesday, Controller John Chiang (D) said that Medi-Cal payments to health care facilities would be first to be processed. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Operators of nursing homes and homes for people with developmental disabilities were hit hard by the budget impasse because the majority of their residents are Medi-Cal beneficiaries, said Betsy Hite of the California Association of Health Facilities.
In all, about 70% of nursing home residents are covered by the program, Hite said (Hubert, Sacramento Bee, 9/25). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.