Mandatory Enrollment of Seniors and
Persons with Disabilities Delayed

 

California Secretary of Health and Human Services Kim Belshé announced today that there would be no managed care legislation this session to expand the mandatory enrollment of persons who qualify for Medi-Cal on the basis of age, blindness or disability (SPD). The administration sought managed care legislation to implement one of the terms and conditions of the Medicaid hospital financing waiver recently approved by the federal government. Approximately 540,000 Californians would have been affected by the expansion of mandatory managed care.

 

Instead, SB 1100 (Perata and Ducheny) will implement only an agreement among the administration, legislature and hospital stakeholders on public and safety net hospital financing.

 

PAI opposes mandatory enrollment of SPD into Medi-Cal managed care. In partnership with consumers and legal aid and health advocates, we have consistently expressed that opposition. The joint decision of the Administration and the Legislature is a positive sign that  deep concerns and fears have been heard. 

 

Anticipating that legislation mandating enrollment of SPD will go forward in the next session, we hope that the administration will expand its discussions with consumers and advocates on the very complex problems and potential solutions for the SPD population.

 

We are encouraged because the interactions leading up to the joint decision indicated the Administration's commitment to a stakeholder process and a sensitivity to the needs and vulnerabilities of the target population. 

 

The delay means an opportunity to review options through a more inclusive and more thorough stakeholder process.

 

Thanks to all of you whose voices were heard and whose support was appreciated through these last several months.

 

Deborah