SAN DIEGO: Responds to Indigent Care Report
San Diego County yesterday "gave mixed response" to a May grand jury report that blasted the county for inadequate spending on care for the uninsured, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The county said it was already following two of the report's 14 recommendations: letting former welfare recipients know that they may still be eligible for Medi-Cal and expanding outreach to let people in the community know about publicly funded health care. The county said, however, that the recommendation of an outreach worker in every community clinic and school was impractical. The county rejected suggestions that it earmark "future growth in state health-related funds entirely for indigent care," noting that those funds are used for an array of health services. The county also rejected a recommendation that it boost reimbursements for providers, noting that its reimbursement rates are "at of above Medi-Cal rates." It did, however, concede that reimbursement rates for inpatient hospital care need to be raised. The county also disagreed with the recommendation that all county contractors be required to offer heath coverage for employees, saying it would "interject county government into the decision making of independent, private firms" (Kucher, 7/14).
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.