BILL NUMBER: AB 53	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JANUARY 16, 2008
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JANUARY 10, 2008
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 27, 2007

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Dymally
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Ma   ) 

                        DECEMBER 4, 2006

   An act to add Section 14132.02 to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 53, as amended, Dymally.  Medi-Cal: acupuncture.
   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,
including outpatient acupuncture services, to the extent federal
matching funds are provided for acupuncture. Under existing
regulations, an individual is limited to a maximum of 2 acupuncture
services in any one calendar month, as provided.
   This bill would provide, notwithstanding any other provision of
law, that the total number of acupuncture services covered under the
Medi-Cal program shall not exceed 24 services per year, but 
would prohibit more than 12 services from being covered within a
period of 6 consecutive calendar months, and  would, subject
 to this limitation   the above limitations
 , prohibit the department from limiting the number of covered
acupuncture services that an individual may receive per month.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 14132.02 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:
   14132.02.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
total number of acupuncture services covered pursuant to subdivision
(a) of Section 14132 shall not exceed 24 services per year  ,
except that no more than 12 services shall be covered within a period
of six consecutive calendar months  .
   (b) Subject to subdivision (a), the department shall not limit the
number of acupuncture services that an individual may receive per
month.