SB 502 — Medi-Cal: children: mobile optometric office.

Summary

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and 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, with specified coverage for eligible children and pregnant persons funded by the federal Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) . Existing federal law authorizes a state to provide services under CHIP through a Medicaid expansion program, a separate program, or a combination program. Existing federal CHIP provisions require federal payment to a state with an approved child health plan for expenditures for health services initiatives (HSI) under the plan for improving the health of children, as specified. As part of limitations on expenditures not used for Medicaid or health insurance assistance, existing federal law, with exceptions, prohibits the amount of payment that may be made for a fiscal year for HSI expenditures and other certain costs from exceeding 10% of the total amount of CHIP expenditures, as specified. Pursuant to existing state law, the department established a 3-year pilot program, from 2015 through 2017, in the County of Los Angeles that enabled school districts to allow students enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care plans to receive vision care services at the schoolsite through the use of a mobile vision service provider, limited to vision examinations and providing eyeglasses. Existing law authorizes an applicant or provider that meets the requirements to qualify as a mobile optometric office to be enrolled in the Medi-Cal program as either a mobile optometric office or within any other provider category for which the applicant or provider qualifies. Existing law defines "mobile optometric office" as a trailer, van, or other means of transportation in which the practice of optometry is performed and which is not affiliated with an approved optometry school in the state. Under existing law, the ownership and operation of a mobile optometric office is limited to a nonprofit or charitable organization, as specified, with the owner and operator registering with the California State Board of Optometry. This bill would require the department to file all necessary state plan amendments to exercise the HSI option made available under CHIP provisions to cover vision services provided to low-income children statewide through a mobile optometric office, as specified. The bill would condition implementation of these provisions on receipt of any necessary federal approvals and the availability of federal financial participation. Under the bill, the federal financial participation would be limited to no more than 3% of the total federal dollars available for expenditures not used for Medicaid or health insurance assistance, as specified. The bill would require implementation of these provisions by January 1, 2025, or the date that any necessary federal approvals have been obtained, whichever date is later. The bill would require the department to seek to fund implementation of the above-described provisions with funding other than General Fund moneys, as specified. The bill would require that all of those derived revenues and applicable federal financial participation be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Vision Services CHIP-HSI Special Fund, which the bill would create. Under the bill, moneys in the fund would be available to cover the vision services upon appropriation. Commencing with the first fiscal year in which the department requests funds for this purpose and annually thereafter, the bill would require the department to report on projected and actual federal and nonfederal resources and expenditures through the budget estimate process. The bill would require continued implementation of these provisions only if no General Fund moneys are used for these provisions. Existing law prohibits the owner and operator of a mobile optometric office and the optometrist providing services from accepting payment for services other than those provided to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. This bill would authorize acceptance of payment for those services provided through any of the state's programs under CHIP, in addition to the Medi-Cal program.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/08/23 - Chaptered Current pdf October 08, 2023
• Enrolled 09/14/23 - Enrolled pdf September 14, 2023
• Amended 06/30/23 - Amended Assembly pdf June 30, 2023
• Amended 04/17/23 - Amended Senate pdf April 17, 2023
• Amended 03/27/23 - Amended Senate pdf March 27, 2023
• Introduced 02/14/23 - Introduced pdf February 14, 2023
• SB502 View text html

Action History

1. October 08, 2023

   Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 487, Statutes of 2023.

2. October 08, 2023

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 20, 2023

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4:30 p.m.

4. September 12, 2023

   Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2677.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

5. September 11, 2023

   In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

6. September 11, 2023

   Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 3160.) Ordered to the Senate.

7. September 05, 2023

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. September 01, 2023

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (September 1).

9. September 01, 2023

   Coauthors revised.

10. August 23, 2023

    August 23 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.

11. June 30, 2023

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

12. June 29, 2023

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 27).

13. June 08, 2023

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

14. May 25, 2023

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

15. May 25, 2023

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 1300.) Ordered to the Assembly.

16. May 23, 2023

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

17. May 18, 2023

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

18. May 18, 2023

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 1173.) (May 18).

19. May 12, 2023

    Set for hearing May 18.

20. April 24, 2023

    April 24 hearing: Placed on APPR suspense file.

21. April 18, 2023

    Set for hearing April 24.

22. April 17, 2023

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

23. April 13, 2023

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 710.) (April 12).

24. March 28, 2023

    Set for hearing April 12.

25. March 27, 2023

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.

26. February 22, 2023

    Referred to Com. on HEALTH.

27. February 15, 2023

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 17.

28. February 14, 2023

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

• Benjamin Allen · Primary
• Wood · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects