Latest California Healthline Stories
Could ‘Terrible’ Medi-Cal Renewal Form Undermine Recent Gains in Enrollment?
Health care advocates say a “badly designed” questionnaire scheduled to be sent to roughly eight million Medi-Cal beneficiaries could confuse people and result in a big drop in enrollment.
Access, Monitoring Raised as Issues for Denti-Cal Restoration Starting May 1
The Department of Health Care Services is ramping up for the partial restoration in May of adult dental services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries, but concerns were raised at a state Senate budget hearing about the department’s monitoring efforts.
A Few Questions Linger as California Prepares To Eliminate MRMIB Programs
From oversight issues to changing the name of the Access for Infants and Mothers program, a number of caveats arose during the budget elimination of a longtime state agency.
‘Promise, Peril’ of Dual Eligible Demonstration Project Studied
UCLA researchers have been studying the frail and elderly population affected by the state’s upcoming duals demonstration project. In a briefing yesterday, researchers addressed the question: “Promise or Peril?”
Legislators Hope To Restore Medi-Cal Provider Cut, Boost Access to Care
Mari Cantwell from the Department of Health Care Services, H.D. Palmer from the Department of Finance, Assembly member Richard Pan, Assembly member Nancy Skinner and Anthony Wright of Health Access California spoke with California Healthline about the 10% cut in reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal providers, the possible repercussions of that reduction and the recent legislative efforts to reverse that cut.
LA Care Passes Duals Readiness Review
CMS officials gave the green light yesterday for LA Care to participate in California’s duals demonstration project, though the insurer still will miss half a year of automatic enrollment.
Medi-Cal Cuts Undermining Senior Programs, Facilities, Advocates Say
The 10% reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements has undermined the viability of long-term care programs in California, according to advocates for seniors and the disabled who predict looming and continued closures could lead to a lack of access.
Advocates Say State Cooperating With Possible Revamp of Notices to Duals
As the May 1 launch of much of the state’s duals demonstration project gets closer, concerns about its implementation have increased, but advocates are encouraged by state officials’ willingness to listen and respond to worries.
Duals Project Schedule Unchanged
The state’s demonstration project to coordinate care for Californians eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare will proceed as scheduled, despite a request from advocates last week calling for the project to be delayed.
Another Legislative Possibility for Restoring Medi-Cal Funding
A bill seeking to tax oil extraction in California could generate as much as $500 million a year that could be used to reverse or reduce the 10% cuts to Medi-Cal reimbursements.