Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Questions Raised Over Medi-Cal Estimates
Legislative analysts and consumer advocates raised questions at a budget subcommittee hearing this week over the state’s estimates of the number of new Medi-Cal enrollees and how much they might cost the state.
Committee OKs Bill To Expand Kids’ Palliative Care Pilot Program to Adults
The state Senate Health Committee voted unanimously in favor of a proposal to expand a palliative care pilot program for children to adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Bills To Raise Medi-Cal Provider Rates Unanimously Pass First Hurdle
A bill to increase Medi-Cal primary care provider rates to Medicare reimbursement levels was unanimously approved by the Assembly Health Committee this week. A companion bill reversing cuts in Medi-Cal payments also passed unanimously.
Assembly Hearing Explores Restoration of Targeted Medi-Cal Benefits
A budget hearing in the state Assembly yesterday examined the topic of restoring specific Medi-Cal budget cuts in areas ranging from adult dental to acupuncture services.
Duals Demonstration Project Begins
The state’s Cal MediConnect project has officially started in five of the eight demonstration counties. Health officials hope to move as many as 456,000 dual eligibles to Medi-Cal managed care plans.
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.