The Brown Administration announced it will implement short-term payment delays to Medi-Cal institutional providers including long term care facilities, adult day health centers, and home health agencies, for reimbursements paid during the month of March, due to a temporary severe cash flow shortage that California is facing in the coming weeks. Some institutional providers are exempt from this delay and payments to Medi-Cal non-institutional providers, such as doctors, will not be held.
A US District Court Judge in Los Angeles issued a tentative order that indicates the court - barring a surprise - is all but certain to issue a final order tomorrow that will stop the State from implementing Medi-Cal rate reductions of up to 10% for by physicians, clinics, dentists, pharmacists, ambulance providers and providers of medical supplies and durable medical equipment on or after June 1, 2011.
The Department of Health Care Services, the state agency that oversees California's Medicaid program (called "Medi-Cal)" released a document called a "Request for Solutions" (RFS), that will be used to select sites to be included in a demonstration project proposal that the Brown Administration will submit for approval to the federal government to shift possibly hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities and seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal - known as "dual eligibles" into managed care types of healthcare delivery. The deadline for applicants to respond to the "Request for Solutions" is February 24, 2012.
Legislation, that would significantly increase coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatments that private health insurers and managed health care plans are currently required to provide under state and federal mental health parity laws, faces a key hurdle; as the bill comes up for a final vote on the Assembly floor as early January 26 and passes as expected, the bill heads to the State Senate, where it faces likely more difficult prospects for passage in the Senate Health Committee.
A US district court judge gave final approval of a settlement of a federal lawsuit that requires the Brown Administration to create a new version of adult day health care, called "Community-Based Adult Services" under Medi-Cal managed health care that will replace the existing Adult Day Health Care Medi-Cal benefit effective March 1, 2012. The existing Adult Day Health Care Medi-Cal benefit will be eliminated effective February 29, 2012.
The Department of Developmental Services released its third update report, covering progress between January 1, 2010 to December 1, 2011, on the closure process of Lanterman Developmental Center in Pomona, where just over 290 people with developmental disabilities reside in the 82 year old state owned and operated health facility.
Governor Brown, saying he was doing so “reluctantly but with clear purpose”, vetoed SB 69 and AB 98 that comprise – together - the 2011-2012 main budget bill approved yesterday on a majority vote by the Legislature controlled by the Democrats.
Many programs in the state of California are administered at the county level. County websites should be used to find information about upcoming Board of Supervisors meetings and agenda items for discussion or action.
Periodically commentaries will be sent out by CDCAN about the state of our community. The commentaries hold insight into what we, as a community, must do not only to protect ourselves, but also to fight for our rights.
Governor Brown will release his proposed 2012-2013 State Budget plan today at 2:30 PM in a news conference at the State Capitol. The press conference will be televised by CalChannel (check local cable listings) and webstreamed live via the CalChannel website at www.calchannel.com
US District Court Judge Christina Snyder issued an order blocking any implementation of the 10% rate reduction to Medi-Cal pharmacies in a case brought by the Medicaid Defense Fund on behalf of Medi-Cal recipients, Medi-Cal pharmacy providers and advocacy organizations. The 10% Medi-Cal rate reduction to most "fee for service" providers was proposed last January by the Brown Administration and passed by the Legislature on March 16th and signed into law on March 24th by the Governor as one of the early pieces of the 2011-2012 State Budget.
Governor Jerry Brown announced the state budget "trigger cuts" authorizing $1 billion in automatic spending reductions, including $100 million in cuts to In-Home Supportive Services and $100 million in cuts in spending to the overall developmental services budget which funds certain services for eligible children and adults with developmental disabilities. Those cuts take effect on or sometime after January 1, 2012; effective dates vary depending on the reduction.
Governor Brown will seek to place, on the November 2012 general election ballot, an initiative that proposes to raise $7 billion through a combination of temporary tax increases on the wealthy and a temporary increase of the state sales tax. The increased revenues would target education and public safety and "not to other programs we cannot afford."
US District Court Judge Claudia Wilken issued a temporary restraining order that requires the Brown Administration to halt all actions to implement the 20% across-the-board cut in service hours for hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities, mental health needs, and seniors in the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. The judge's order also requires the State to rescind any information, instructions and notices of action to the counties and any IHSS recipients that it has sent out. [Note: A copy of the order is attached to this report.]
