Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Progress Lauded for Former Foster Kids
Children’s advocates praised the state in a report this week for making sure former foster children receive their Medi-Cal coverage.
Researchers, Health Officials Trying to Solve Dual Eligibles’ Opt-Out Puzzle
UCLA researchers launched a project to understand the high opt-out rate in the state’s duals demonstration project, while health officials release a tool for seniors to better understand their choices.
Half of State’s Undocumented Likely To Qualify for Medi-Cal Coverage
Researchers say about half of the 2.7 million undocumented Californians have incomes low enough to qualify for Medi-Cal coverage if the state offered it.
Waiver Approval a Strong Start, Now Time for Long-Term Vision, Expert Says
State and federal health officials reached an agreement on $6.2 billion worth of waiver projects for California’s Medicaid program. One expert says it’s time to build on that with a stronger vision of Medi-Cal’s future.
$6 Billion Waiver Gets Federal Approval
California gets almost everything it wanted in a scaled-back $6.2 billion waiver request for Medicaid delivery and payment system reforms approved over the weekend by federal regulators.
From $17 Billion to $7 Billion so Far … How Far Will Medicaid Waiver Drop?
The state dropped about $10 billion from its request for a new federal Medicaid waiver. California now wants roughly $7 billion to jumpstart payment and delivery system reforms, but it may get only a portion of that lower number.
Poll Asks Duals for Opt-Out Reasoning
The high rate of seniors opting out of the Cal MediConnect program for Californians dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid has been hard to figure out, so the state decided to ask people why they’re doing it.
State Scales Back Medicaid Waiver Request From $17 Billion to $7 Billion
CMS officials reportedly have shied from the type of funding formula advanced by California’s 1115 Medicaid waiver request.
Report: Record Medicaid Growth, Reforms
A Kaiser Family Foundation report suggests Medicaid is playing a more significant role in the U.S. health care system following changes and expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
Denti-Cal Program Grilled Again
After a series of legislative hearings and an audit by the state, the Little Hoover Commission took its turn at solving the Medi-Cal dental system puzzle during a long hearing in Sacramento last week.