BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
SB 1291 (Beall) - Medi-Cal: specialty mental health: children
and youth
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|Version: April 14, 2016 |Policy Vote: HEALTH 9 - 0, |
| | HUMAN S. 5 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: May 27, 2016 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy |
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Bill
Summary: SB 1291 would require county mental health plans to
submit an annual foster care mental health service plan to the
Department of Health Care Services. The bill would require
county mental health plans to be reviewed by an external quality
review organization with specified requirements. The bill would
require the Department to conduct annual audits of county mental
health plans to assess the provision of services to foster
youth.
*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM - SUSPENSE FILE ***********
The following information is revised to reflect amendments
adopted by the committee on May 27, 2016
Fiscal
Impact:
Ongoing costs likely in the hundreds of thousands per year for
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the Department of Health Care Services to review county plans,
EQRO reports, and take necessary enforcement actions (General
Fund and federal funds).
Ongoing costs of about $450,000 per year for additional items
to be reviewed by the external quality review organization
(General Fund and federal funds).
Likely administrative costs in the low millions for county
mental health plans to develop the required foster youth
mental health service plans (General Fund and federal funds).
Much of the information required for the plans is already
possessed by county mental health plans. However, there are
likely to be administrative costs to compile that information
and develop the required plans. Under the state constitution,
the state would be responsible for reimbursing counties for
any additional administrative costs incurred due to the bill.
Unknown impact on the costs for counties to provide additional
specialty mental health services (local funds or General Fund
and federal funds). By increasing the scrutiny on the
provision of services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries by county
mental health plans, the bill may bring to light shortcomings
in the provision of those services (such as delays in access
to services or provider shortages). To the extent that occurs,
it may result in counties providing additional services. To
the extent that there is an increase is services due to the
bill and to the extent that counties could demonstrate that
the increase in utilization was due to the effects of the
bill, the state could be responsible for those costs. Whether
that would actually occur is unknown, as there is no formal
process yet in place for determining when and how the state
should reimburse counties for additional costs relating to
realigned programs.
Committee
Amendments: Delete the requirement for the Department of Health
Care Services to review county foster care mental health service
plans and delete the requirement for the Department to audit
county mental health plan provision of services to foster youth.
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