Bill Text: CA SB523 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Senate Bill 523 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Medi-Cal: emergency medical transport providers: quality assurance fee.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2017-10-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 773, Statutes of 2017. [SB523 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB523-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate March 30, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 523

Introduced by Senator Hernandez

February 16, 2017

An act to ~~amend Section 14005.28 of~~ add Section 14129.2 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to ~~Medi-Cal.~~ Medi-Cal, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 523, as amended, Hernandez. ~~Medi-Cal.~~ Medi-Cal: emergency medical transport providers: quality assurance fee.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes a quality assurance fee program for skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities, as prescribed.
This bill, commencing July 1, 2018, would impose a quality assurance fee for emergency medical transport provided by each emergency medical transport provider subject to the quality assurance fee for the purpose of addressing funding for ground emergency Medi-Cal transportation services.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
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 services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires the department to implement specified provisions of federal law to provide Medi-Cal benefits to an individual until his or her 26th birthday if he or she was in foster care on his or her 18th birthday or any higher age the state has elected under federal law. Existing law requires the department to implement the federal option to provide Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid in any state, as provided.
~~This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.~~

Vote: ~~MAJORITY~~2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NOYES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 14129.2 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

14129.2.
Commencing with the state fiscal quarter beginning on July 1, 2018, and continuing each state fiscal quarter thereafter, there shall be imposed a quality assurance fee for each emergency medical transport provided by each emergency medical transport provider subject to the fee in accordance with this section for the purpose of addressing funding for ground emergency Medi-Cal transportation services.

SEC. 2.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
In order to make the necessary changes to increase Medi-Cal payments to emergency ambulance providers, at the earliest possible time, and to allow this act to be operative as soon as approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is obtained by the State Department of Health Care Services, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.

SECTION 1.Section 14005.28 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is amended to read:
14005.28.
(a)To the extent federal financial participation is available pursuant to an approved state plan amendment, the department shall implement Section 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(IX) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)(IX)) to provide Medi-Cal benefits to an individual until his or her 26th birthday if he or she was in foster care on his or her 18th birthday, or any higher age the state has elected under Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 670 et seq.). The department shall also implement the federal option to provide Medi-Cal benefits to individuals who were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid in any state.
(1)A foster care adolescent who was in foster care in this state on his or her 18th birthday, or any higher age the state has elected under Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 670 et seq.), shall be enrolled to receive benefits under this section without any interruption in coverage and without requiring a new application.
(2)The department shall develop procedures to identify and enroll individuals who meet the criteria for Medi-Cal eligibility in this subdivision, including, but not limited to, former foster care adolescents who were in foster care on their 18th birthday and who lost Medi-Cal coverage as a result of attaining 21 years of age. The department shall work with counties to identify and conduct outreach to former foster care adolescents who lost Medi-Cal coverage during the 2013 calendar year as a result of attaining 21 years of age, to ensure they are aware of the ability to reenroll under the coverage provided pursuant to this section.
(3)(A)The department shall develop and implement a simplified redetermination form for this program. A beneficiary qualifying for the benefits extended pursuant to this section shall fill out and return this form only if information known to the department is no longer accurate or is materially incomplete.
(B)The department shall seek federal approval to institute a renewal process that allows a beneficiary receiving benefits under this section to remain on Medi-Cal after a redetermination form is returned as undeliverable and the county is otherwise unable to establish contact. If federal approval is granted, the recipient shall remain eligible for services under the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program until the time contact is reestablished or ineligibility is established, and to the extent federal financial participation is available.
~~(C)The department shall terminate eligibility only after it determines that the recipient is no longer eligible and all due process requirements are met in accordance with state and federal law.~~
(b)Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions until the time any necessary regulations are adopted. The department shall adopt regulations by July 1, 2017, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Beginning July 1, 2015, and notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the department shall provide a status report to the Legislature on a semiannual basis, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, until regulations have been adopted.
~~(c)This section shall be implemented only if and to the extent that federal financial participation is available.~~