Medi-Cal Overhaul Effort Underway With Supes Lawson-Remer & Montgomery Steppe Leading The Way

Image
News Date
07/16/24
Description

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe secured the support and acknowledgement of colleagues on the progress made toward increasing Medi-Cal Reimbursement Rates to Improve Healthcare.    

In March, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s policy to conduct a Medicaid Landscape Analysis to assess Medi-Cal reimbursable services and explore opportunities to increase Medicaid reimbursement to providers in the San Diego region, and create an Ad Hoc Subcommittee co-chaired by Supervisor Montgomery Steppe.    

“I’ve been fighting for local solutions to make healthcare, especially mental healthcare affordable, and that’s why we are working to increase Medi-Cal reimbursement rates,” said Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors.  “Increasing the reimbursement rate healthcare providers receive for caring for Medi-Cal patients will help expand the availability of beds and services to vulnerable patients. One of the areas with the lowest reimbursement rates is substance abuse treatment, so by increasing rates we will be able to increase service availability.”   

“Your income level should not determine the level of medical care you receive, and right now, we are making positive strides to change that," said Supervisor Montgomery Steppe, Co-Chair of the Medi-Cal Ad Hoc Subcommittee. "This policy not only supports our dedicated medical professionals but also ensures our healthcare infrastructure is more robust and capable of meeting the diverse needs of our communities. Increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates is a crucial investment in the health and well-being of our residents, regardless of their economic status, who will be able to receive the medical attention they deserve."     

Details of the progress made to increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates include:

Medi-Cal Transformation Assessment 

  1. The Medi-Cal Transformation Readiness and Infrastructure Assessment began in March 2024 to evaluate County infrastructure, including current staffing, data sharing capabilities, billing systems and services that align with potential billable Medi-Cal opportunities under Medi-Cal Transformation. To date, the contractor convened five County departments, with a sixth scheduled. Additionally, the contractor is in the process of reviewing documents and collecting additional information before providing their findings and recommendations. 

  2. Began in June in-depth financial assessment of services provided by County Health and Human Services to determine the feasibility of third-party payers.

  3. In June, staff engaged experts in Medi-Cal funding mechanisms, billing, and intergovernmental transfer (IGT) to share information with County staff and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee for further exploration. The first discussion with the ad-hoc was held in June and a second discussion is scheduled for July 2024.

Opportunities to Increase Medi-Cal

  1. Stakeholder "listening sessions” began in June and will continue through November 2024. 

  2. In June, staff engaged experts in Medi-Cal funding mechanisms, billing, and intergovernmental transfer (IGT) to share information with County staff and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee for further exploration. The first discussion with the ad-hoc was held in June and a second discussion is scheduled for July 2024.

Legislative Actions

  1. The County’s 2024 Legislative Program has been updated to include support for legislation and administrative actions that will lead to increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for California.  

  2. Currently, identifying additional expertise needed to engage in ongoing conversations at the State and Federal level.

To read the entire progress report, click here, and to read the policy passed today, click here.