California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1805

Introduced by Assembly Members Skinner and Pan

February 18, 2014

An act to add Section 14105.194 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1805, as introduced, Skinner. Medi-Cal: reimbursement: provider payments.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011.

This bill would, instead, prohibit the application of those reductions for payments to providers for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services to implement this provision to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial participation for those payments.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 14105.194 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:

14105.194.  

(a) Notwithstanding Sections 14105.07, 14105.191,
14105.192, and 14105.193, payments to providers for dates of
service on or after June 1, 2011, shall be determined without
application of the reductions in Sections 14105.07, 14105.191,
14105.192, and 14105.193, except as otherwise provided in this
section.

(b) The director shall implement subdivision (a) to the maximum
extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period
for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial
participation for the payments provided for in this section.

(c) The director shall promptly seek all necessary federal
approvals to implement this section.

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 ensure access to medically necessary care for
Medi-Cal beneficiaries, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.