California Children’s Services Program: county designation.
Impact
The potential impact of AB 870 is substantial for California's health care landscape, particularly in rural areas. By permitting small counties to share administration responsibilities, the bill aims to enhance operational efficiency and resource allocation. It may provide a solution for counties struggling to meet the needs of their populations due to limited resources. However, the bill also necessitates that certain counties comply with the CCS standards that have been set, which could create complications in governance and accountability in delivery of health services.
Summary
Assembly Bill 870, introduced by Assembly Member Hadwick, seeks to amend Section 123850 of the Health and Safety Code concerning the California Children's Services (CCS) Program. The existing CCS program is designed to provide medically necessary services to individuals under 21 years of age who meet specified medical conditions, particularly those with low-income status. Under the current law, counties with populations exceeding 200,000 must administer the program independently, while smaller counties have options to administer it jointly with the state. This bill proposes to significantly alter administration for smaller counties by allowing those with populations under 2,000 to designate another county to administer the program if specific criteria are met, which includes mutual agreement between the counties involved and adherence to standards defined by the Director of Health Care Services.
Sentiment
General sentiment surrounding AB 870 appears to be cautious yet optimistic. Supporters argue that the adjustments will facilitate better management of children's health services in less populated areas, allowing these counties to partner with neighboring jurisdictions that may have more robust administrative capacities. Conversely, opponents express concern over the potential dilution of services and oversight. They worry that the quality of care may diminish if responsibilities are shifted to counties that lack adequate experience in managing such programs.
Contention
Key points of contention arise around the execution of the proposed changes and how they would be regulated. Critics are particularly worried about the risk posed by delegating health care administration to neighboring counties which may not share identical objectives or efficiency standards. Further, there are implications regarding Medi-Cal enrollees who might be affected by the transition of care provided under the Whole Child Model. The bill requires the Department of Health Care Services to adopt necessary regulations, but there is skepticism about the department's capacity to ensure compliance and quality across multiple jurisdictions.