The Senate and Assembly will hear both Medicaid expansion bills,
SBX1 1 (Hernandez) and ABX1 1 (Pérez), in their respective Health
Committees next week. The Assembly Health Committee will also
hear SBX1 3 (Hernandez), which is the measure to create a
“Bridge” program between Medi-Cal and the health care exchange
(Covered California).
CSAC supports all three measures, but many details within the
bills still need to be worked out between the Legislature and
Governor Brown. We expect them to be amended in the coming weeks
and urge counties to watch them closely.
AB 1054 (Chesbro) – Support
As Amended April 11, 2013
AB 1054, by Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro, would reduce the
annual rate increase that counties pay to Institutions for Mental
Disease (IMD) for inpatient psychiatric treatment from 4.7
percent to 3.5 percent.
The measure, sponsored by CSAC affiliate California Mental Health
Directors Association (CMHDA), originally removed the automatic
rate increase altogether and would have allowed counties to
negotiate rates with IMDs within their borders. For counties, the
4.7 percent annual increase was a significant fiscal concern, as
county mental health departments are responsible for the full
cost of IMD rates.
Counties believe 3.5 percent is consistent with a reasonable cost
of living adjustment. The Senate Health Committee passed the
measure unanimously on June June 5. It now goes to the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
AB 419 (Lowenthal) – Support
As Introduced on February 15, 2013
AB 419, by Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal, will allow full
CalWORKs basic needs assistance and services to continue for
families whose child or children are hospitalized.
Under current law, a child being treated in a public hospital is
considered to be “temporarily absent” from the home for the first
two months of his or her hospital stay. However, this designation
does not apply to children who are treated in private hospitals,
where they are instead deemed “temporarily absent” for their
entire stay, regardless of length. While this situation does not
happen often, it can be devastating for the families who lose a
portion of their CalWORKs basic needs assistance and services
while their child or children are hospitalized. Assembly Bill 419
would correct this small loophole.
AB 419 is sponsored by CSAC affiliate County Welfare Directors
Association (CWDA) and will be heard by the Senate Human Services
Committee on June 11, 2013.
