Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Lawmaker Calls for ‘Substantive Change in Culture’ at State Health Department
One day after a frustrating and emotionally charged hearing, the head of the Assembly health committee took a step back and said it’s time for a “culture change” at the Department of Health Care Services.
Assembly Health Committee Chair Rips DHCS for Lack of Cooperation, Poor Care
Assembly Committee on Health Chair Richard Pan chastised the state Department of Health Care Services in a hearing yesterday, saying he has been “disappointed and frustrated” in his interactions with the department over the past two years.
Advocates, State Officials Wrangle Over California’s Medi-Cal Renewal Backlog
Consumer advocates are asking for federal intervention to help with California’s unprocessed Medi-Cal applications. The state hopes to have the backlog reduced to about 350,000 by the end of the month.
State: Autism Therapy a Medi-Cal Benefit
State health officials announced yesterday that they plan to cover autism therapy for Medi-Cal children, with possible retroactive coverage and full implementation likely by the start of 2015.
State Wins Duals Project Court Ruling, Medicaid Defense Fund Plans to Appeal
A California Superior Court judge ruled Friday in Sacramento that the state may continue with its duals demonstration project. Medicaid Defense Fund, which challenged the project in a lawsuit, plans to appeal.
New Payment Reforms, Shared-Savings Initiatives Could Be Part of Waiver Plan
State officials are hoping to include a number of shared-savings projects in the next version of California’s Medicaid waiver. The state’s five-year 1115 “Bridge to Reform” waiver will be up for renewal next year.
Health Agency Opposes Bill To Create Children’s Medi-Cal Advisory Panel
A legislative proposal to create an advisory panel to look at children’s health issues in Medi-Cal has an unusual opponent: the Department of Health Care Services.
Medicaid Waiver Renewal Process Starts
California health officials hope to include new shared-savings ideas in the next version of the state’s Medicaid reform waiver. The current version, known as the “Bridge to Reform,” expires next year.
Many Steps To Go Before Authorizing Autism Therapy as Benefit, State Says
State officials said they were waiting for federal guidance before approving autism therapy as a covered Medi-Cal benefit. Now that CMS has issued that guidance, the state says it still needs more time to decide whether that’s possible.
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.