BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          SB 82 
                                                          Page  1

Date of Hearing: August 18, 1998

              ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
                    Carole Migden, Chairwoman

       SB 82 (Vasconcellos) - As Amended: April 22, 1999 

Policy Committee:                              HealthVote:9 - 5

Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local  
Program:YesReimbursable:   Yes

  SUMMARY  

This bill requires the Medi-Cal program to cover prenatal care  
for undocumented women who are otherwise eligible for services  
under the program.

  FISCAL EFFECT  

The provision of benefits under the bill would result in an  
annual GF cost of about $63 million to the Medi-Cal program.   
These costs would be offset, potentially to a significant  
degree, to the extent the prenatal care  services the bill would  
provide reduce the number of Medi-Cal-eligible infants born with  
significant health problems.

Costs for the prenatal care services required by this measure  
are reflected in the 1999-00 Budget Act.

 COMMENTS
  
  1)Purpose of the Bill  .  This bill provides statutory authority  
  to continue existing practice under the Medi-Cal program to  
  provide prenatal care to pregnant women unable to document  
  they are lawful residents of the United States.  According to  
  the author, for more than a decade California has offered  
  Medi-Cal services for prenatal care for a broader group of  
  women than those provided for under federal law.   The author  
  asserts this is because for every $1 that is invested in  
  prenatal care, $7 is saved by avoiding premature and  
  low-birthweight babies, whose expensive care would be financed  
  by the Medi-Cal program.   The author argues this policy  
  should be continued, and notes the federal welfare reform law  
  cutting off this benefit also allows states that wish to  








                                                          SB 82 
                                                          Page  2

  continue it at their own option to enact statutory  
  reauthorization.  This bill provides such authority. 
  
2)Background  .  Under provisions of the 1996 federal welfare  
  reform law, states may not provide certain public benefits for  
  non-citizens unless a state subsequently enacts a statute  
  authorizing the benefit with state funds.  In response to this  
  federal law change, Governor Wilson issued an executive order  
  requiring state agencies to identify state-supported programs  
  for which non-citizens should be denied access.  Over 200  
  programs were identified, including Medi-Cal prenatal care.   
  However, most aspects of the governor's executive order,  
  including as it regards Medi-Cal prenatal care, have not been  
  implemented due to litigation on the issue. 

  Analysis Prepared by  :  William Wehrle / APPR. / (916) 319-2081