AB 2212, as introduced, Gray. Medi-Cal: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT).
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 that Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) for any individual under 21 years of age is covered under Medi-Cal consistent with the requirements of federal law. Under federal law, EPSDT services include screening services, vision services, dental services, hearing services, and other necessary services to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not the services are covered under the state plan.
This bill would require the department to permit county mental health plans to contract with local educational agencies (LEAs), as defined, to provide services for Medi-Cal eligible pupils under EPSDT. The bill would also require the department to permit a county mental health plan to obtain federal financial participation on behalf of nonpublic agencies that contract with an LEA to provide EPSDT services if the LEA does not have a contract with the county mental health plan. The bill would also require the department to examine methodologies for increasing LEA participation in the Medi-Cal program so that schools can meet the educationally related health care needs of their pupils.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 14727 is added to the Welfare and
2Institutions Code, to read:
(a) The department shall permit county mental health
4plans to contract with local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide
5services for Medi-Cal eligible pupils under Early and Periodic
6Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT). If an LEA does
7not have a contract with the county mental health plan, the
8department shall permit the county mental health plan to obtain
9federal financial participation on behalf of any nonpublic agencies
10that contract with the LEA to provide EPSDT services. Unless
11otherwise precluded by federal law, LEAs and nonpublic agencies
12shall be reimbursed for all eligible EPSDT services provided under
13this section.
14(b) Services that a county mental health plan may contract for,
15or that a nonpublic agency may receive federal
financial
16participation for, under this section include, but are not limited to,
17any of the following:
18(1) Mental health assessments.
19(2) Targeted case management services.
20(3) Behavioral services.
21(4) Mental health, social work, and counseling services.
22(5) Individual and group services.
23(6) Crisis intervention.
24(7) Day treatment.
25(8) Residential treatment.
26(9) Medication support services.
27(c) The department shall examine methodologies for increasing
28LEA participation in the Medi-Cal program so that schools can
29meet the educationally related health care needs of their pupils,
30which shall include simplifying the claiming processes for
31Medi-Cal billing to the extent possible.
P3 1(d) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” has
2the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 56026.3 of
3the Education Code.
4(e) This section shall be implemented to the extent permitted
5by federal law. The department shall seek any necessary state plan
6amendments or waiver amendments to implement this section and
7shall undertake all necessary activities to obtain federal financial
8participation for reimbursable services provided by LEAs and
9nonpublic agencies under this
section.
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