Placer County To Offer Managed Care Plans to Medi-Cal Beneficiaries
Placer County will begin operating a Medi-Cal managed care program in an effort to boost reimbursements to providers and improve access to care for the disabled, elderly and low-income women and children, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
The program, slated to begin in May 2008, is part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) 2005 budget plan for reforming Medi-Cal by adding managed care programs to 13 counties. The plan sought to improve health care access without increasing spending.
Enrollment in the managed care program will be mandatory for women and children Medi-Cal beneficiaries, accounting for up to 12,000 Placer County residents. An additional 7,000 to 8,000 elderly and disabled Medi-Cal beneficiaries in the county can participate in the new plans or remain with fee-for-service plans.
Four insurers have submitted applications to participate in the county's program:
- Blue Cross of California;
- Health Net;
- Kaiser Permanente; and
- Molina Healthcare (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 12/14).