HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06181985 - 1.36 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS t-036
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FROM: Phil Batchelor, County Administrator
Costa
DATE: June 12 , 1985 County
SUBJECT: Legislation: SB 760
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) $ BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION•
Adopt a position of support for SB 760 by Senator Bill Greene
which would appropriate an .additional $1.6 million to increase
reimbursement rates for providers of home health care services.
BACKGROUND:
As introduced, SB 760 would have required the Director of the
State Department of Health Services to reimburse home health
services at a rate comparable to the rates paid by federal
Medicare. On May 28, this provision was deleted and, instead,
the bill was amended to read that $1.6 million is appropriated
in addition to any cost-of-living adjustment provided in the
1985-1986 State Budget for the specific purpose of increasing
reimbursement rates for home health services.
The Public Health Division in the Health Services Department
has a license as a Home Health Agency and provides an extensive
program of home health services, largely for Medi-Cal patients.
The private Home Health agencies frequently decline to accept
Medi-Cal patients because the rates of reimbursement are so low
compared with those of the federal Medicare program. Home
health services are generally designed to keep a patient in
his/her own home as long as possible, to prevent premature or
unnecessary admission to a nursing home, and to allow earlier ;
discharge from an acute hospital than would be possible without
the availability of home health services. All of these
objectives tend to reduce the overall cost of medical care to
the Medi-Cal and Medicare programs. Since the County is a
major provider of Medi-Cal home health services, and since the
reimbursement rates have lagged far behind those of the
Medicare program, it is appropriate for the Board of
Supervisors to support Senator Greene' s efforts to obtain
additional funding for this program.
The Health Services Director recommends that the Board support
SB 760 and this office concurs in this recommendation.
SB 760 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Appropriations
Committee on June 17, 1985.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: Aft4z "l Le�,
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON June 18, 1985 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS N THE DATE SHOWN.
County Administrator �;
CC: Health Services Director ATTESTED �y
Senator Bill Greene //,, � '
Senators Dan Boatwright and PHILVBATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Nicholas Petri S SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
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M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY