California Assembly Bill x1-1 (Chapter 3, Statutes of 2013)
requires quarterly reporting on eligibility and enrollment
processes for all California insurance affordability programs.
DHCS and Covered California recently released the first report
for the reporting period of October 2013 through September 2014
focusing on initial steps and outcomes of the enrollment process
for new applicants. The full report can be found here.
The unique characteristics of health care environments in rural
expansion counties
Managed care plan standards and State evaluation
Provider access
Key issues indicated by data
The full report is linked above.
Laura’s Law
There is interest in the Legislature to implement the Assisted
Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Demonstration Act of 2002 – commonly
referred to as Laura’s Law –in all 58 counties. While several
counties have implemented or initiated research regarding the
implementation of Laura’s Law, current law is permissive and does
not require all counties to do so. In counties where Laura’s Law
is implemented, a court may order a person to receive AOT
treatment for up to six months.
Assembly Member Marie Waldron’s AB
59 as currently amended would require all counties to
implement Laura’s Law and would require counties to use various
continuously appropriated funding to do so, including Local
Revenue funds and MHSA funds. In short, it would mandate counties
to implement a new program, without providing additional funding
to do so. AB 59 would also extend the AOT period to up to 12
months.
Assembly Member Eggman’s approach in AB
1193 requires each county to implement Laura’s Law in
their county unless the County Board of Supervisors opt out of
participating. It would also extend the Assisted Outpatient
Treatment Demonstration Project Act of 2002 to January 1, 2022
from the current repeal date of January 1, 2017.
Although CSAC supports Laura’s Law in concept, we strongly
support the current local flexibility that allows each county to
determine whether AOT is the right course of action in their
communities. CSAC will be working on both of these measures and
is seeking comments from counties on their perspectives.
We also note that five counties have implemented some form of
Laura’s Law in the last year (Placer, Orange, San Diego, Los
Angeles, and San Francisco), but only after careful consideration
by the board of supervisors and their communities.
