BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1223
Author: Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee
Amended: 8/24/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 4/10/12
AYES: Correa, Cannella, Berryhill, Calderon, Negrete
McLeod, Rubio, Lieu
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/20/12
AYES: Hernandez, Harman, Alquist, Anderson, Blakeslee, De
Le�n, DeSaulnier, Rubio, Wolk
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 7/2/12
AYES: Kehoe, Walters, Alquist, Dutton, Lieu, Price,
Steinberg
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 5/31/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Medi-Cal: Public Assistance Reporting
Information System
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Department of Health Care
Services (DHCS) to utilize the federal Public Assistance
and Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify
veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled
in the Medi-Cal Program and assist them in obtaining
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federal veterans' health care benefits statewide and
repeals language making PARIS a two-year pilot program
where DHCS selects three consenting counties that have in
operation a United States Department of Veterans Affairs
(USDVA) medical center to participate in the pilot.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal
program, which is administered by DHCS, 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. Requires
DHCS to establish a two-year pilot program to utilize PARIS
to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who
are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and assist them in
obtaining federal veterans' health care benefits. Requires
DHCS to select three counties, as specified, to participate
in the pilot project and authorizes DHCS to implement the
program statewide at any time and continue the operation of
PARIS indefinitely if DHCS determines that the pilot
program is cost effective.
Background
The federal Department of Health and Human Services runs a
data matching program called PARIS. The purpose of this
data-matching is to identify individuals who simultaneously
collect public assistance in multiple states. The primary
focus of PARIS is to remove duplication for those eligible
for other programs and Medicare, Supplemental Security
Income, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Comments
According to the author's office, "An analysis conducted by
the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) in 2007 stated that
implementing PARIS could save the state millions of dollars
annually in General Fund costs by shifting eligible
veterans enrolled in Medi-Cal to the USDVA health care
system. According to the LAO report, 144,000 veterans and
dependents on Medi-Cal coverage could be eligible for
comprehensive medical care and health services through the
USDVA health care system. It is estimated that connecting
only ten percent of these veterans will save the state $25
million annually."
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Prior Legislation
AB 1183 (Assembly Budget Committee), Chapter 758, Statutes
of 2008, required DHCS to utilize the federal PARIS by July
1, 2009 as a two-year pilot program to identify veterans
and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the
Medi-Cal Program and assist them in obtaining federal
veteran health care benefits. Under existing law, DHCS
must select three consenting counties that have in
operation a USDVA medical center to participate in the
pilot program. DHCS is required, under the pilot program,
to exchange information with PARIS and identify veterans
and their dependents or survivors who are receiving
Medi-Cal benefits in the pilot program counties.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/5/12)
American Legion, Department of California
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veteran Service Officers
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Vietnam Veterans of America - California State Council
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 79-0, 5/31/11
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani,
Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Grove,
Hagman, Halderman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger
Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones,
Knight, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor,
Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell, Monning, Morrell, Nestande,
Nielsen, Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson,
Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gorell
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RM:m 7/5/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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