CDCAN REPORT #011-2012: Senate Budget Committee to hold hearings on Governor's Medi-Cal Managed Care proposal including impact to IHSS and MSSP

SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE TO HOLD INFORMATIONAL BUDGET HEARINGS ON MEDI-CAL MANAGED CARE PROPOSALS AND CALWORKS

February 23rd Hearing Will Focus on Long Term Care and Medi-Cal Managed Care Proposals Including Impact on In-Home Supportive Services and the Multipurpose Senior Servces Program - Time for Public Comment

SACRAMENTO, CA (CDCAN) [Last updated 01/19/2012 03:50 PM] - As part of the long legislative budget process, the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee will hold three informational hearings in February and March, including a February 23rd hearing focusing on the Governor's controversial proposals that include shifting persons with disabilities and seniors eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal into Medi-Cal managed care plans.  That hearing will also hear the impact of the Governor's proposal to make In-Home Supportive Services a Medi-Cal managed care benefit for those persons begining next January, and also the impact on the Multi-Purpose Senior Services (MSSP) programs.  Senate budget staff said there will be time for public comment.

No action will be taken at any of the informational hearings, but the February 23rd hearing is the first one that will focus on the Medi-Cal managed care issue that has raised serious concerns from many disability and senior advocacy groups across the State, though some groups have indicated a willingness to work with the Brown Administration providing that certain key issues - including quality of care and the right of IHSS recipients to maintain control of their IHSS workers.

The full Senate budget committee will also hold a informational hearing on March 1st focusing on another of the Governor's controversial proposals, dealing with major reductions in State general fund spending and changes to the CalWORKS program and Child Care program.  The CalWORKS program is California's "welfare to work" program that includes thousands of children and parents with special needs, disabilities and/or mental health needs.  There will time allocated for this hearing for the public to comment (in addition to written comments sent directly to the committee).

The full Assembly Budget Committee will hold an informational hearing for an overview of the Governor's proposed 2012-2013 State Budget on January 31st at 10:00 AM at the State Capitol in Room 4202, similar to the informational hearing held earlier today (January 19th) by the full Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.

Senate Budget Subcommittee Hearings Will Begin in March

• Senate budget subcommittee hearings will begin sometime in early March, though no schedule of hearings have been released yet.
• The Assembly will likely begin their subcommittee hearings on the Governor's proposed budget either in late February or early March, though have not yet released any hearing dates.
• Subcommittee hearings are important because that iis the only time the Legislature reviews in some detail the Governor's proposals and allows for public comment. Actions can be taken by the subcommittees - especially on non-controversial issues - during the March through May time period.  The subcommittees normally delay taking final action on the more controversial propoals until after the Governor's release of his budget revisions in mid-May.
• Actions by subcommittees can - and often are - reversed later in June by the budget conference committee (a joint committee composed of members from both parties from the Assembly and State Senate, with Democrats in the majority) or later in the budget process as the budget bills come up for final votes on the Assembly and State Senate floors in late June or July (or if there is a deadlock, whenever a budget is finally passed).

Governor Proposes Over $4 Billion In New Spending Cuts - and $7 Billion In New Temporary Taxes

• As reported by CDCAN on January 5th, Governor Jerry Brown released his proposed 2012-2013 State Budget plan January 5th that calls for over $4 billion in additional massive spending cuts and nearly $7 billion in new revenues from temporary tax increases on the state's wealthiest taxpayers and a one-half percent increase in the state's sales tax, to close what the Governor said is a projected $9.2 billion budget deficit. The Governor's plan however hinges on putting the issue of his proposed temporary tax increases on the November 2012 via petition, for voter approval.
• Over $2 billion of the total $4 billion in new cuts will come from health and human services, with reductions there largely centered on four major programs - CalWORKS and child care, Medi-Cal, In-Home Supportive Services and developmental services. Major and dramatic changes proposed by the Governor will also impact other areas, including proposals to replace the Department of Mental Health with a new Department of State Hospital which was previously brought up last May; the proposed elimination of the 11 Caregiver Resource Centers, and a proposal calling for the elimination of the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board.
• The new proposed reductions appear to be addition to the $1 billion in spending cuts announced in mid-December by the Governor when he also announced that the 2011-2012 State Budget "trigger cuts" would be pulled because projected revenues fell below what was budgeted. However the Governor's budget summary totals do not appear to reflect those reductions, though the narrative and specific details from department estimates do.

CDCAN SUMMARY OF BUDGET HEARINGS

The following is complete list of budget related hearings scheduled to date (as of Thursday afternoon, January 19, 2012).  There are no budget subcommittee hearings scheduled yet (hearing dates, times and locations subject to change).

• CalWORKS - Senate Budget Committee informational hearing on Governor's proposal 03/01
• Developmental Services (regional centers & developmental centers) - no hearings scheduled yet
• Healthy Families - no hearings scheduled yet
• In-Home Supportive Services - Senate Budget Committee informational hearing on Governor's Medi-Cal managed care proposal 02/23
• Medi-Cal - Senate Budget Committee informational hearing on Governor's long term care and Medi-Cal managed care proposal 02/23
• Mental Health - no hearings scheduled yet
• SSI/SSP and CAPI [Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants] - no hearings scheduled (neither program has major issues in the State Budget at this point)

JANUARY 19, 2012 - THURSDAY

WHO: SENATE BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
WHAT: General Overview of Governor's Proposed 2012-2013 State Budget (by Governor's Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst Office)
STATUS: hearing held.

JANUARY 31, 2012 - TUESDAY

WHO: ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE
WHAT: General Overview of Governor's Proposed 2012-2013 State Budget (by Governor's Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst Office)
TIME: 10:00 AM.
WHERE: State Capitol - Room 4202
TELEVISED: Yes - on CalChannel (also streamed live via www.calchannel.com )
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Not likely. (Testimony will be taken during budget subcommittee hearings)
PRIORITY: HIGH

FEBRUARY 16, 2012 - THURSDAY

WHO: SENATE BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
WHAT: Informational hearing on Governor's Education Reform proposals
 TIME: 09:00 AM or upon adjournment of State Senate floor session (which ever is later)
WHERE: State Capitol - Room 4203
TELEVISED: Yes - on CalChannel (also streamed live via www.calchannel.com )
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Yes (and public can also send in written comments)
PRIORITY: VERY HIGH

FEBRUARY 23, 2012 - THURSDAY

WHO: SENATE BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
WHAT: Informational hearing on Governor's Long Term Care and Medi-Cal Managed Care proposals including impact to In-Home Supportive Services and the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP).
TIME: 09:30 AM or upon adjournment of State Senate floor session (which ever is later)
WHERE: State Capitol - Room 4203
TELEVISED: Yes - on CalChannel (also streamed live via www.calchannel.com )
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Yes (and public can also send in written comments)
CDCAN COMMENT: This hearing, even though no action will be taken, will be important because it is the first time (unless the Assembly conducts a similar hearing before this) that the Governor's proposal to shift hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities and seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medi-Cal (referred to as "Medi-Medis" or "dual eligibles") from "fee-for-service" to Medi-Cal manged health care plans.  The Governor's plan also calls for that population eligible for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), to receive those services through Medi-Cal managed care as a managed care health benefit beginning January 1, 2013.  [CDCAN will issue report with committee membership and addresses]
PRIORITY: VERY HIGH

MARCH 01, 2012 - THURSDAY

WHO: SENATE BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
WHAT: Informational hearing on Governor's CalWORKS and Child Care proposals (including proposal to redesign both programs)
TIME: 09:30 AM or upon adjournment of State Senate floor session (which ever is later)
WHERE: State Capitol - Room 4203
TELEVISED: Yes - on CalChannel (also streamed live via www.calchannel.com )
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: Yes (and public can also send in written comments)
PRIORITY: VERY HIGH