State Hopes To Cut Medi-Cal Enrollment Backlog Nearly in Half by August
California health officials, responding to a request from federal officials, explained their plans to deal with a massive Medi-Cal application backlog. A letter to CMS included a rough timeline to fix the problem.
State Officials Meet CMS Deadline for Explanation of Huge Medi-Cal Backlog
Roughly 600,000 applications for Medi-Cal have yet to be processed, and federal officials want to know why. State officials said they responded to CMS in writing but have not yet made the response public.
CMS Guidance Says Autism Therapy Covered as Medicaid Benefit for Kids
Long-sought federal guidance has finally been issued on coverage of autism therapy as a Medicaid benefit — and advocacy groups say it’s good news for children on Medi-Cal in California.
Lawsuit Slams the State’s Duals Project
A just-filed lawsuit in Superior Court asks that the dual eligibles demonstration project be paused long enough to fix several “failures,” including a form that offers no clear choice to opt out.
Inadequate State, Federal Payment Rates Forcing Hospital Closure, Officials Say
An East Bay hospital that serves a patient population that’s 90% Medi-Cal, Medicare or the uninsured is facing imminent shutdown. State and federal reimbursement rates make serving that population unsustainable, hospital officials say.
Main Push in Duals Project Starts, L.A. County Launches Passive Enrollment
The biggest element of the state’s Cal MediConnect project has begun — the push to enroll 200,000 dual eligibles into managed care plans in Los Angeles County. It’s almost half the project’s target population.
Unclear How Supreme Court’s Home Health Care Worker Ruling Will Affect California
The ruling by the nation’s highest court goes against home health care workers’ unions in Illinois — but advocates still are uncertain what it means for California.
Two Health Care Measures Make Ballot Deadline for November, Two Others Held
The deadline has passed for initiatives to qualify for the November ballot. Two health care measures are in, and two others will have to wait.
Report Examines State Budget Cut Effects in Alameda County
When the state cuts funding for health care, counties feel it keenly, according to a report issued by Alameda County.
Panel OKs Optometry Scope of Practice Bill
Legislation to help ease the crunch on primary care by expanding the scope of practice for California optometrists moved forward in the Legislature yesterday.