AB50. Health care coverage: Medi-Cal: eligibility: enrollment.

Summary

AB 50, as amended, Pan. Health care coverage: Medi-Cal: eligibility: enrollment. 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. This bill would require the department to establish a process in accordance with federal law to allow a hospital that is a participating Medi-Cal provider to elect to be a qualified entity for purposes of determining whether any individual is eligible for Medi-Cal and providing the individual with medical assistance during the presumptive eligibility period. Existing law requires an applicant or beneficiary, as specified, who resides in an area served by a managed health care plan or pilot program in which beneficiaries may enroll, to personally attend a presentation at which the applicant or beneficiary is informed of managed care and fee-for-service options for receiving Medi-Cal benefits. Existing law requires the applicant or beneficiary to indicate in writing his or her choice of health care options and provides that if the applicant or beneficiary does not make a choice he or she shall be assigned to and enrolled in an appropriate Medi-Cal managed care plan, pilot project, or fee-for-service case management provider providing service within the area in which the beneficiary resides. Existing law requires the department to develop a program, as specified, to implement these provisions. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2015. Existing law requires the California Health and Human Services Agency, in consultation with specified entities, to a establish standardized single, accessible application form and related renewal procedures for state health subsidy programs, as defined, in accordance with specified requirements. Existing law authorizes the form to include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding demographic data categories, including race, ethnicity, primary language, disability status, and other categories recognized by the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to federal law. This bill would instead require the form to include those questions effective January 1, 2015, and would additionally require the form to include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. This bill would authorize the form to also include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The bill would, effective January 1, 2015, require the form to include questions that are voluntary for applicants to answer regarding the demographic data categories specified. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.