BILL NUMBER: SB 152INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Cox FEBRUARY 12, 2009 An act to add Section 5778.5 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to mental health. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 152, as introduced, Cox. Medi-Cal funding: mental health services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which qualified low-income persons are provided with health care services, including mental health services. Under existing law, the State Department of Mental Health is required to implement managed mental health care for Medi-Cal recipients through fee-for-service or capitated contracts with counties, counties acting jointly, qualified individuals or organizations, or nongovernmental entities. This bill would, subject to specified exceptions, commencing July 1, 2010, require the Controller to reimburse any fee-for-service county contractor that submits a claim for reimbursement for these services within 90 days after the receipt of the claim, and would provide that interest shall accrue on an unpaid claim, as prescribed, commencing on the 91st day after receipt of the claim, except as provided. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 5778.5 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read: 5778.5. (a) For mental health services reimbursed through a fee-for-service payment system, the Controller shall reimburse any county contractor that submits a claim under Section 5778 within 90 days after the receipt of a reimbursement claim by the department. This 90-day timeframe shall not be applicable to claims in the State Department of Mental Health's dispute resolution process or to claims that have been returned to the entity submitting the claim for additional information or necessary changes. (b) Subject to subdivision (c), beginning on the 91st day after receipt of the reimbursement request from the county contractor, interest shall accrue at the daily Pooled Money Investment Account rate. The interest shall be paid from the State Department of Mental Health's budget. (c) If sufficient funds are unavailable, the Controller shall request the Director of Finance to include any amounts necessary to satisfy the claim in a request for a deficiency appropriation. Interest charges shall not accrue against the department's budget for periods when the funding to the department is insufficient to pay the claim. (d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2010.