The UCLA Center for Health Policy research has released policy
note on “Successful Strategies for Increasing
Enrollment in California’s Low Income Health Program
(LIHP).” The 20-page report, generated with help from 20
county LIHPs, spotlights the success counties have had in
enrolling nearly half a million new clients into local health
plans. The report also outlines successful outreach, enrollment,
retention and redetermination strategies employed by the county
LIHPs.
The report also illustrates the challenges counties have faced in
implementing the LIHPs with numerous helpful charts and graphs,
and explains how the LIHPs have given the state a head start on
implementing the Affordable Care Act. It was funded by Blue
Shield of California Foundation and the California Department of
Health Care Services, with support from the California Medicaid
Research Institute.
Child Welfare Services/Foster Care
AB 823 (Dickinson) – Support
Vetoed
AB 823, by Assembly Member Roger Dickinson, would have created a
California Children’s Coordinating Council tasked with ensuring
better coordination and delivery of services to our children and
their families.
The bill would specifically have created the Children’s
Coordinating Council and given Governor Jerry Brown the authority
to appoint the members. By coordinating the continuum of
children’s services in California and working to streamline and
maximize available private and federal funding, counties believed
that the creation of a California Children’s Coordinating Council
would have had long-term social and economic benefits for all
residents. It was for these reasons that CSAC supported the bill,
but the Governor vetoed it on September 17. Here is his veto
message:
“I am returning Assembly Bill 823 without my signature. This bill
establishes a ‘Children’s Coordinating Council,’ consisting of
members of government, to advise itself on how it can improve
collaboration amongst itself when it comes to delivering services
to the children of this state. For almost two years now, my
administration has worked to eliminate unnecessary boards,
commissions, advisory bodies, and reports, so that government is
not so overloaded with the work of form over the work of
function. I commend the author’s heartfelt desire to improve the
lot of all children in the state, but the creation of another
Council is not the solution. If anything, it lulls us into the
fallacy that forms can solve our problems. Instead, let’s try to
be honest and thoughtful about the good we can do, and then do
the good without the statutory decree, not because of it.”
