Latest California Healthline Stories
New Survey Offers First Data on Managed Care Shift
A survey released yesterday revealed strengths and weaknesses in the state’s 2011 transition of about 172,000 seniors and persons with disabilities into Medi-Cal managed care plans.
Two-thirds of the responding beneficiaries said their care was the same or better than it had been before the transition but the survey raised concerns on several fronts, most notably a lower level of notification and communication, according to Carrie Graham, assistant director of research at Health Research for Action at UC-Berkeley School of Public Health. Health Research for Action conducted the survey in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation, which publishes California Healthline.
The survey reached 1,521 Medi-Cal-only respondents who transitioned into managed care between June 2011 and April 2012. Graham said there was a 59% response rate to the survey.
Duals Demonstration Gets Green Light
CMS and California health officials yesterday announced they agree on a framework for the launch of the duals demonstration project starting as soon as October.
About 456,000 Californians who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage in the eight demonstration counties will be qualified to participate in the duals project.
State officials announced yesterday the project will be launched under the name Cal MediConnect.
Douglas Updates Legislators on Health System Changes
California’s health care system is undergoing its biggest changes in almost 50 years. Toby Douglas, director of the agency at the eye of the health care storm, updated legislators on the progress of some of the changes in a hearing last week in Sacramento.
Access at Issue in Provider Cut
A new Assembly bill would exempt one type of skilled-nursing provider from state-imposed Medi-Cal reimbursement cuts. The 10% reduction is being challenged in federal court and has not taken effect.
The new bill, AB 900 by Assembly member Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), would exempt hospital-based, acute-care skilled nursing facilities from the cut. Other providers could be included in the legislation, but so far the bill deals only one kind of provider.
Hospital-based skilled-nursing facilities were singled out because the cuts will affect them more than other Medi-Cal providers, according to Jan Emerson-Shea, vice president of external affairs for the California Hospital Association.
Concern Over Retroactive Medi-Cal Cut
State lawmakers last week got a reply to their long-held question about a 10% Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rate reduction — and they didn’t much like the answer.
At an Assembly budget subcommittee hearing last week, the testimony turned to what would happen if a federal appeals court rules in favor of the state’s effort to cut Medi-Cal reimbursement rates to providers by 10%.
Assembly member Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) asked the director of the Department of Health Care Services, Toby Douglas, a question that has haunted provider groups facing the large rate reduction.
Federal Approval of Duals Plan May Come Soon
At a budget subcommittee hearing yesterday, Department of Health Care Services Director Toby Douglas said he hopes to get federal approval for the Coordinated Care Initiative within weeks.
The CCI, also known as the duals demonstration project, is a plan to move half a million Californians with dual eligibility in both Medicare and Medicaid into Medi-Cal managed care programs. The plan calls for consolidating disparate health care services and funding streams to improve and integrate care for seniors and persons with disabilities, while saving the state money as well.
“We hope it’s imminent,” Douglas said at yesterday’s Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, when he was asked for an approval timeline by Assembly member Mariko Yamada (D-Davis).
Healthy Families’ First Phase Done, Now Comes the Harder Part
California is in the thick of moving almost one million children from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal managed care. With a shortened first phase of 178,000 kids successfully completed, attention turns to the next two phases that will shift coverage for about 485,000 children.
Floor Votes in Favor of Expansion Bills
The state Assembly and Senate yesterday passed companion bills to expand Medi-Cal eligibility to more than one million Californians making up to 138% of federal poverty level. The bills also simplify the Medi-Cal enrollment process.
“This bill takes an important step to make sure California remains a leader in health care reform,” said Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D-Los Angeles), author of ABX1-1. “And this also helps bring billions of dollars in federal funds into California.”
The Senate passed its version of the legislation, SBX1-1, authored by Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina). The expansion will be fully funded with federal money for the first three years, declining to 90% in 2020.
Expansion Hearing Highlights County-State Struggle
California health officials and legislators yesterday had a lively discussion over the two proposed choices for the optional Medi-Cal expansion.
At the onset, yesterday’s discussion in the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services centered on the Brown Administration’s choices for a state-based or county-based approach to implementing expansion of Medi-Cal to adults up to 138% of federal poverty level, which is expected to open eligibility to as many as 1.4 million Californians.
But the meat of the conversation evolved into something else. Since counties have pretty firmly asserted they’re in favor of the state-based plan, and state officials have not stated a preference for either option, choosing one approach over another was not really the main issue during yesterday’s hearing.
Appropriations Approves Medi-Cal Expansion
The state Senate Committee on Appropriations endorsed a bill expanding Medi-Cal eligibility to 1.4 million Californians and to simplify the enrollment process for all Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
The special session approval Monday means SBX1-1 by Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) is headed to the Senate floor as soon as the end of this week. The Assembly version of the legislation — ABX1-1 by John Pérez (D-Los Angeles) — won committee approval last week is pending a floor vote now.
“This is very important because we want to make sure we get as many individuals with coverage so they don’t utilize the system the way they utilize it now — which is, those who don’t have insurance would go to the emergency rooms,” Hernandez said.