BILL NUMBER: SB 152	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Cox

                        FEBRUARY 12, 2009

   An act to add Section 5778.5 to the Welfare and Institutions Code,
relating to mental health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 152, as introduced, Cox. Medi-Cal funding: mental health
services.
   Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by
the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified
low-income persons are provided with health care services, including
mental health services.
   Under existing law, the State Department of Mental Health is
required to implement managed mental health care for Medi-Cal
recipients through fee-for-service or capitated contracts with
counties, counties acting jointly, qualified individuals or
organizations, or nongovernmental entities.
   This bill would, subject to specified exceptions, commencing July
1, 2010, require the Controller to reimburse any fee-for-service
county contractor that submits a claim for reimbursement for these
services within 90 days after the receipt of the claim, and would
provide that interest shall accrue on an unpaid claim, as prescribed,
commencing on the 91st day after receipt of the claim, except as
provided.
   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 5778.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions
Code, to read:
   5778.5.  (a) For mental health services reimbursed through a
fee-for-service payment system, the Controller shall reimburse any
county contractor that submits a claim under Section 5778 within 90
days after the receipt of a reimbursement claim by the department.
This 90-day timeframe shall not be applicable to claims in the State
Department of Mental Health's dispute resolution process or to claims
that have been returned to the entity submitting the claim for
additional information or necessary changes.
   (b) Subject to subdivision (c), beginning on the 91st day after
receipt of the reimbursement request from the county contractor,
interest shall accrue at the daily Pooled Money Investment Account
rate. The interest shall be paid from the State Department of Mental
Health's budget.
   (c) If sufficient funds are unavailable, the Controller shall
request the Director of Finance to include any amounts necessary to
satisfy the claim in a request for a deficiency appropriation.
Interest charges shall not accrue against the department's budget for
periods when the funding to the department is insufficient to pay
the claim.
   (d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2010.