01/05/2009
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has given the state Department of Health Care Services 120 days to report on steps it has taken to implement a 2002 state law that aimed to expand Medi-Cal to people who are HIV-positive but have not developed AIDS. Modern Healthcare, Bloomberg.
01/05/2009
Democratic leaders in Congress now say an economic stimulus package that is expected to include provisions for Medicaid funding and health information technology will not be ready until mid-February. Democrats had hoped to have Congress approve the bill by the inauguration. Washington Post et al.
01/05/2009
Aides to Gov. Schwarzenegger rolled out a proposal aimed at closing the state's more than $40 billion budget deficit over the next 18 months. The plan would cut Medi-Cal and calls for shifting funds from special accounts for mental health services and early childhood health care and education programs to other state efforts. Sacramento Bee et al.
01/05/2009
California is one of several states considering changes to its Medicaid program. So far, 19 states have cut payments to hospitals and nursing homes, eliminated coverage for some treatments and excluded some beneficiaries from the program completely. Washington Post.
12/23/2008
The California Budget Project found that a growing number of residents are turning to public assistance programs. The report comes as lawmakers propose significant cuts to health and social services programs to close the state budget deficit. San Jose Mercury News et al.
12/22/2008
Negotiations continue after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected Democrats' budget proposal, which included $7.3 billion in cuts to health care, schools and other programs, because he said it did not go far enough to address the budget gap. The governor plans to order layoffs and mandatory unpaid time off for state workers in response to the growing deficit. Sacramento Bee et al.
12/22/2008
States are asking the federal government to increase Medicaid spending by $40 billion over two years to address increases in Medicaid enrollment and lower-than-projected tax revenues. Governors say additional funding will help states balance their budgets. AP/San Francisco Chronicle, NPR's "News & Notes."
12/19/2008
The plan includes $7.3 billion in cuts from health care and other programs and would relax some rules for small construction projects at hospitals. Gov. Schwarzenegger said the plan did not go far enough in addressing the budget gap. Los Angeles Times, Ventura County Star.
12/18/2008
While stressing their commitment to bipartisanship, Democratic legislative leaders put forward a budget plan that would result in higher taxes and fees to close the state budget gap. The proposal would cut spending for schools, health care and other programs. Meanwhile, the state halted financing for more than 2,000 infrastructure projects, including hospitals. Los Angeles Times et al.
12/17/2008
The California Assembly is scheduled to vote on Republican legislators' budget plan today, after a Democratic proposal did not win sufficient support. The Republican plan seeks to reallocate funds for mental health services and children's health and education efforts. San Francisco Chronicle et al.
12/17/2008
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Medi-Cal beneficiaries who experienced lapses in health care coverage were substantially more likely to be hospitalized for chronic conditions than beneficiaries whose coverage was not interrupted. The lead author of the study said that it raised questions about the cost-efficacy of increased eligibility checks. New York Times, CQ HealthBeat.
12/16/2008
Research from UCLA found that more than half of the kids who went without health insurance at some point in 2007 were eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families but were not enrolled in the programs. Fewer than 7% of uninsured adults were eligible for Medi-Cal. Los Angeles Daily News.
12/16/2008
California Republican legislators outlined a proposal to boost revenue in large part by reallocating billions of dollars in funds from voter-approved initiatives for mental health services and early childhood health and education. Medi-Cal also would be cut under the plan. Los Angeles Times et al.
12/16/2008
New research from the National Association of State Budget Officers and the National Governors Association found that states are cutting overall spending, a move that could have major implications for state Medicaid programs as enrollment is expected to climb. CQ HealthBeat et al.
12/15/2008
A report this month by the Bureau of State Audits criticizes the California Department of Health Care Services for failing to streamline the process for enrolling and tracking Medi-Cal providers. by George Lauer