California Assembly Bill AB1124 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1124AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 24, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Muratsuchi FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to repeal and add Section 14124.11 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to  Medi-Cal, and making an appropriation therefor   Medi-Cal  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1124, as amended, Muratsuchi. Medi-Cal: Public Assistance Reporting Information System. 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. Existing law requires the department to establish a 2-year pilot program to utilize the federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits. Existing law requires the department to select 3 counties, as specified, to participate in the pilot project and authorizes the department to implement the program statewide at any time and continue the operation of PARIS indefinitely if the department determines that the pilot program is cost effective. This bill would remove the pilot project status of these provisions and would require the department to implement this program statewide.  The bill would also appropriate an unspecified sum from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide funding for county veteran service officers to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and to assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits.  Vote:  2/3   majority  . Appropriation:  yes   no  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 14124.11 of the Welfare and Institutions Code is repealed. SEC. 2. Section 14124.11 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read: 14124.11. (a) The department shall utilize the federal Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits. (b) The department shall exchange information with PARIS and identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are receiving Medi-Cal benefits. (c) The department shall refer identified Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are receiving high-cost services, including long-term care, to county veteran service officers (CVSOs) to obtain information regarding, and assistance in obtaining, USDVA benefits. (d) In implementing this section, the department shall do all of the following: (1) Enter into an agreement with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) to perform CVSO outreach services. The CDVA agreement shall contain performance standards that will allow the department to measure the effectiveness of the program established by this section. (2) Enter into any agreements that are required by the federal government to utilize the PARIS system. (3) Perform any information technology activities that are necessary to utilize the PARIS system. (e) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of written directives without taking further regulatory action. (f) In order to achieve maximum cost savings, the Legislature hereby determines that an expedited contract process for contracts under this section is necessary. Therefore, contracts under this section shall be exempt from the Public Contract Code and from Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 11250) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.  (g) Notwithstanding any other law, the sum of ____ dollars ($____) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide funding for county veteran service officers to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal program and to assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits.