Sonoma Says It’s Been Short-Changed Millions In Medi-Cal Reimbursements From State
Michael Kennedy, the director of the county’s mental health divisions, said the state will eventually pay the outstanding Medi-Cal funds. But he said the delay creates “cash flow problems for counties.” Meanwhile, Gov. Jerry Brown signed his budget, which directs money from a tobacco tax toward Medi-Cal, into law.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Confronts State Over $9 Million In Outstanding Medi-Cal Mental Health Payments
Sonoma County officials are calling on the state to make good on $8.7 million in “outstanding and delayed” Medi-Cal claims for mental health services for low-income residents with severe mental illness. Local officials said the state is using a 7-year-old cost formula for calculating its Medi-Cal reimbursement rate for mental health services, and as a result the county has been short-changed $4.4 million in the past three years. (Espinoza 6/27)
Capital Public Radio:
Gov. Brown Signs Budget With Increased Education, Social Service Spending
In another compromise with lawmakers, the budget uses some tobacco tax money from the newly-passed Proposition 56 to increase rates for doctors and dentists who see Medi-Cal patients. The governor had proposed using the money to backfill new Medi-Cal costs, as the state begins to contribute for the program’s expansion under Obamacare. (Bradford, 6/27)
And in other news —
KQED:
Obamacare Inspires Unlikely Political Action In California’s Rural, Republican Territory
Overall, the Affordable Care Act helped 25,000 people in far Northern California buy plans through the state marketplace, Covered California. But the law helped three times as many people, 75,000, enroll in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program that provides free health coverage for low-income residents. (Dembosky, 6/28)