SENIOR ASSEMBLY PROPOSAL NO. 11
INTRODUCED BY SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER RYAN
(COAUTHOR SENIOR SENATOR LEITAKER)
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AP 11: MEDI-CAL: INTERSTATE PROVISION OF SERVICES.
UNDER EXISTING LAW, THE FEDERAL MEDICAID PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED MEDI-CAL IN CALIFORNIA AND ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES, PROVIDES MEDICAL BENEFITS TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS AND CERTAIN OTHER LOW-INCOME PERSONS. THE MEDI-CAL PROGRAM IS GOVERNED AND FUNDED IN PART PURSUANT TO FEDERAL LAW.
THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES INITIATE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENTS ADMINISTERING MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA TO ESTABLISH A COORDINATED, INTERSTATE, SINGLE-APPLICATION, SINGLE-BILLING SYSTEM FOR THE PROVISION OF MEDICAID SERVICES TO BORDER RESIDENTS. THIS MEASURE WOULD FURTHER MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES REPORT THEIR PROGRESS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH STATE DEPARTMENTS ADMINISTERING MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA TO THE CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE IN TIME FOR THE 2010 SESSION OF THE CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE.
VOTE: MAJORITY.
AP 11: RELATING TO MEDI-CAL
WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN AREAS NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON, NEVADA, OR ARIZONA OFTEN HAVE QUALITY AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CLOSER TO THEM IN OREGON, NEVADA, OR ARIZONA THAN IN CALIFORNIA; AND
WHEREAS, THE MEDICAID PROGRAM PROVIDES BASIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO QUALIFIED LOW-INCOME PERSONS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STATE GOVERNMENTS; AND
WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA’S MEDICAID PROGRAM IS CALLED MEDI CAL AND IS ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES; AND
WHEREAS, FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT STATES PAY FOR CERTAIN MEDICAID SERVICES FOR BENEFICIARIES WHO ARE ABSENT FROM THE STATE; AND
WHEREAS, PURSUANT TO FEDERAL LAW, CALIFORNIA PAYS FOR CERTAIN MEDICAID SERVICES FOR BENEFICIARIES WHO ARE ABSENT FROM CALIFORNIA; AND
WHEREAS, PROVIDERS PROVIDING SERVICES THROUGH MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN NEIGHBORING STATES DO NOT OFTEN ACCEPT MEDI-CAL EVEN THOUGH MEDI-CAL WOULD REIMBURSE MANY OF THOSE SERVICES IF THE PROVIDER CHOSE TO BILL MEDI-CAL; AND
WHEREAS, CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN AREAS NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON, NEVADA, OR ARIZONA WHO DEPEND UPON MEDI-CAL FOR THEIR MEDICAL NEEDS ARE REQUIRED TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES WITHIN CALIFORNIA TO RECEIVE MEDICAL SERVICES WHEN THEY COULD HAVE THEIR NEEDS MET CLOSER TO HOME IN NEIGHBORING STATES IF MORE PROVIDERS IN THOSE STATES ACCEPTED MEDI-CAL; AND
WHEREAS, MEDI-CAL RECIPIENTS IN CALIFORNIA’S MOUNTAIN AND EASTERN DESERT COUNTIES FACE LONG, EXPENSIVE, AND OFTEN DIFFICULT COMMUTES TO INTERIOR CALIFORNIA URBAN AREAS FOR MEDICAL SERVICES BECAUSE MANY PROVIDERS IN OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA DO NOT ACCEPT MEDI-CAL; AND
WHEREAS, APPROPRIATE MEDICAL SERVICES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NEAR CALIFORNIA’S BORDER RESIDENTS ARE UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF COORDINATION BETWEEN MEDI-CAL AND THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN THE NEIGHBORING STATES; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY AND THE SENIOR SENATE, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2009 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES INITIATE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENTS ADMINISTERING MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA TO ESTABLISH A COORDINATED, INTERSTATE, SINGLE-APPLICATION, SINGLE-BILLING SYSTEM FOR THE PROVISION OF MEDICAID SERVICES TO BORDER RESIDENTS; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THE RESULT OF THE DISCUSSIONS WILL BE THAT MEDI-CAL AND THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN BORDERING STATES WILL BE INTERCHANGEABLE FOR BORDER RESIDENTS, PREMIUMS AND COPAYMENTS WILL BE STANDARDIZED, PAYMENTS TO PROVIDERS WILL BE EQUALIZED, PAPERWORK WILL BE HANDLED BY THE MEDICAL PROVIDER’S HOME STATE AGENCY ADMINISTERING MEDICAID AND BILLED BASED ON AN AGREED ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PATIENT’S HOME STATE, AND INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO BORDER RESIDENTS UNDER TERMS SIMILAR TO INTRASTATE TRANSPORTATION; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT THE COORDINATED, INTERSTATE, SINGLE APPLICATION, SINGLE-BILLING SYSTEM BE EASY TO USE FOR BOTH THE PATIENT AND THE MEDICAL SERVICE PROVIDER; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, PAYMENT TO OUT-OF-STATE PROVIDERS BE PROMPT AND THROUGH A SINGLE STATE AGENCY; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES REPORT THEIR PROGRESS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH STATE DEPARTMENTS ADMINISTERING MEDICAID PROGRAMS IN OREGON, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA TO THE CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE IN TIME FOR THE 2010 SESSION OF THE CALIFORNIA SENIOR LEGISLATURE; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
RN 09 16493
- 0 -