Bill Text: CA AB1309 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1309 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Medi-Cal.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-02 - Died at Desk. [AB1309 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB1309-Introduced.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 1309	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Emmerson

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Section 14016.55 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1309, as introduced, Emmerson. Medi-Cal.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is
administered by the State Department of Health Care Services under
which qualified low-income individuals receive health care benefits.
Under existing law, the Director of Health Care Services is required
to enter into contracts with managed care plans to provide services
under the Medi-Cal program. Medi-Cal participants are given 30 days
following the determination of eligibility to indicate his or her
choice of health care options. Under existing law, in counties where
the conversion to managed care plan enrollment has occurred, and
where the default rate, as defined, is 20% or higher in 2 consecutive
months occurring after the conversion, the department is required to
conduct a survey of beneficiaries to determine the reasons why
beneficiaries default and to report the results to the appropriate
legislative policy and budget committees, as specified.
   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the
survey and reporting provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 14016.55 of the Welfare and Institutions Code
is amended to read:
   14016.55.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that Medi-Cal
beneficiaries who are required to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care
health plan make an informed choice that is not the result of
confusion, lack of information, or  understanding 
 misunderstanding  of the choices available to them.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department strive
to increase the level of choice of Medi-Cal beneficiaries required
to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care health plan and that default
rates be no greater than 20 percent in any participating county.
   (c) In any county in which conversion to managed care  health
 plan enrollment has taken place and where the default rate, as
defined in subdivision (e), is 20 percent or higher in two
consecutive months occurring after conversion upon the effective date
of this section, the department shall conduct a one-time survey of
beneficiaries aimed at determining the reasons why beneficiaries fail
to enroll into a managed care  health  plan when required
to do so by the department or its health care options contractor.
   (d) The department shall submit the results of the survey to the
appropriate legislative policy and budget committees within six
months of completion, and implement a plan of correction intended to
reduce the rate of beneficiary default. The plan of correction may
include, but not be limited to, culturally appropriate outreach and
education activities, including the use of community based
organization.
   (e) For purposes of this section, "default rate" refers to the
rate of Medi-Cal beneficiaries defaulting into managed care health
plan enrollment by virtue of their failure to make an election, as
provided for in Section 14016.5.