BILL NUMBER: SB 1081	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Fuller

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2012

   An act to amend Section 15909.1 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, relating to Medi-Cal, making an appropriation therefor, and
declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1081, as introduced, Fuller. Public health care: Medi-Cal:
demonstration projects.
    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 provides for the Health
Care Coverage Initiative, which is a federal waiver demonstration
project established to expand health care coverage to low-income
uninsured individuals who are not currently eligible for the Medi-Cal
program and other specified public health coverage programs.
Existing law requires the department, pursuant to federal approval of
a successor demonstration project, to authorize local Low Income
Health Programs (LIHP) to provide health care services to eligible
low-income individuals under certain circumstances. Under existing
law, a county, city and county, consortium of counties serving a
region of more than one county, or a health authority may be eligible
to operate an approved LIHP. Existing law establishes the
continuously appropriated LIHP Fund, which consists of moneys
transferred to the fund from a participating entity to meet the
nonfederal share of estimated payments to the LIHP.
   This bill would provide that a nondesignated public hospital may
be eligible to operate an approved LIHP if it is located in a county
that does not have a county hospital and does not intend to operate a
LIHP. By increasing the number of entities that may transfer funds
into the LIHP Fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
   This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 15909.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is
amended to read:
   15909.1.  For purposes of this part, the following definitions
shall apply:
   (a) "Demonstration project" means a federal waiver or
demonstration project described in Section 14180 approved by the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that authorizes
the implementation of a successor to the Health Care Coverage
Initiative under Part 3.5 (commencing with Section 15900).
   (b) "Eligible entity" means  a   any of the
following: 
    (A)    A  county  , 
 city   . 
    (B)     A city  and county  ,
  consortium   . 
    (C)     A consortium  of counties
serving a region consisting of more than one county  , or
health   . 
    (D)     A health  authority  .

    (E)     A nondesignated public hospital, if
the hospital is located in a county that does not have a county
hospital and does not intend to operate a local Low Income Health
Program  .  For 
    (2)     For  purposes of this section
and to the extent allowed under the Special Terms and Conditions of
the demonstration project, a County Medical Services Program shall be
considered a consortium of counties serving a region consisting of
more than one county.
   (c) "LIHP" means a local Low Income Health Program authorized
pursuant to this part that is comprised of the following populations:

   (1) The Medicaid Coverage Expansion (MCE) population, which means
low-income individuals 19 to 64 years of age, inclusive, who are not
pregnant,  with   have  family incomes at
or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, are not eligible
for the Medi-Cal program or the Children's Health Insurance Program,
are United States citizens, nationals, or have satisfactory
immigration status, and meet the county of residence requirements.
   (2) The Health Care Coverage Initiative (HCCI) population, which
means low-income individuals 19 to 64 years of age, inclusive, who
are not pregnant,  with   have  family
incomes above 133 percent through 200 percent of the federal poverty
level, are not eligible for the Medicare Program, the Medi-Cal
program, the Children's Health Insurance Program, or other
third-party coverage, are United States citizens, nationals, or have
satisfactory immigration status, and meet the county of residence
requirements.
   (d) "Participating entity" means an eligible entity that operates
an approved LIHP.
  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 Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to improve access to health care services for patients in
underserved areas at the earliest possible time, it is necessary
that this act take effect immediately.