Schwarzenegger Signs Several Health-Related Bills
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday signed a bill (AB 522) by Assembly member George Plescia (R-San Diego) that will prohibit Medi-Cal from reimbursing health care providers for erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra for sex offenders, the Los Angeles Times reports (Vogel, Los Angeles Times, 10/5).
Schwarzenegger in May ordered state health officials not to provide ED drugs to sex offenders after receiving a letter from CMS officials warning states that providing ED drugs to sex offenders is considered inappropriate use of Medicaid funds and advising state officials to implement policies prohibiting the practice (California Healthline, 5/27).
Schwarzenegger then asked state lawmakers to pass legislation prohibiting Medi-Cal from paying for ED drugs for sex offenders (Chorneau, AP/San Diego Union-Tribune, 10/5).
According to the Sacramento Bee, state health officials have been unable to determine the exact number of sex offenders who receive Medi-Cal coverage for ED drugs, but they estimate the number is small (Yamamura, Sacramento Bee, 10/5).
Schwarzenegger this week signed 10 additional health-related bills. Summaries appear below.
-
AB 77, by Assembly member Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), addresses Medi-Cal reimbursements to clinics;
-
AB 133, by the Assembly Budget Committee, addresses In-Home Support Services (Office of the Governor release, 10/4);
-
AB 179, by Assembly member Rudy Bermudez (D-Norwalk), requires that the personal rights form for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly include information on how to report elder abuse and that the form be included with facilities' admission agreements (Office of the Governor release, 10/3);
-
AB 330, by Assembly member Mike Gordon (D-El Segundo), addresses management requirements for acute care facilities and specialty hospitals;
-
AB 360, by Frommer, addresses skilled nursing facilities;
-
AB 1309, by Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), addresses joint powers agreements for local health authorities and commissions (Office of the Governor release, 10/4);
-
AB 1725, by Assembly member Doug La Malfa (R-Redding), authorizes the state to use the Design-Build construction process to build homes for veterans in Shasta and Fresno counties (Office of the Governor release, 10/3);
-
SB 190, by Sen. Gilbert Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), addresses community clinics;
-
SB 224, by Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Santa Rosa), addresses construction plans for health facilities (Office of the Governor release, 10/4); and
-
SB 244, by Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), addresses requirements for the transfer of residents of continuing care retirement communities to facilities that provide a higher level of care (Office of the Governor release, 10/3).