The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) it has entered into with the
California Department of Health Care Services on the Duals
Demonstration Project that seeks to test a new model for
providing more patient-centered, coordinated care to
Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. Moving forward, the pilot program
will be called Cal MediConnect.
HASC testified before a joint meeting of the Los Angeles City
Council’s Energy & Environment and Ad Hoc on Waste Reduction
and Recycling Committees regarding the proposed plan to implement
a city-wide franchise system for trash removal.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 this
week not to proceed with the proposed Clean Water, Clean Beaches
Measure.
The BizFed Water Quality Parcel Tax Working Group, which includes
several regional organizations and associations, including HASC,
had requested the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors to
indefinitely place on hold the measure, which would establish an
annual fee to pay for clean water programs.
The Los Angeles Hospital Leadership Group resolves local issues
such as funding, regulation and coordination of healthcare
services; establishes local public policy positions and
represents the interests of the membership to the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors, local elected officials and
government agencies; assists the board of directors and CHA with
statewide and federal issues, identifying concerns and
opportunities at the local level; recommends HASC policy and
program development.
HASC LA Office, Board Room
515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Hospitals interested in learning about available resources
related to targeted violence may contact the Department of Mental
Health/Emergency Outreach Bureau/School Threat Assessment
Response Team (START) for training, consultation and assessment
at (213) 739-5565; (213) 738-4924; or ACCESS 1-800-854-7771.
DMH also offers three- to four-hour training sessions on threat
management, focusing on a team approach, for interested
hospitals. To schedule an on-site training for staff, email Tony
Beliz, Ph.D at tbeliz@dmh.lacounty.gov and Mikesha Taylor at
mtaylor@dmh.lacounty.gov.
The Los Angeles Emergency Health Services Committee acts as a
liaison with local EMS agencies and CHA; addresses issues related
to patient access to emergency and trauma services; and
recommends policies that assure development of effective,
efficient EMS delivery systems throughout Los Angeles County.
HASC LA Office, Board Room
515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Several program updates were shared at the Feb. 6 meeting with
representatives from Healthy Way LA (HWLA).
Deployment of new resources has recently resulted in about 1,000
claims for inpatient services being released for payment. The
remaining balance of approximately 632 cases, which exceed the 30
days, will be resolved shortly.
Concurrent review is also a problem with a few hospitals. HWLA
will reach out to individual UM managers at those specific
facilities to discuss the individual cases and review the
identified problem areas. Staff training will also be offered.
The Behavioral Health Services Committee of Los Angeles
identifies and addresses regulatory, public policy and
reimbursement issues related to behavioral services providers’
ability to render quality care in a dynamic environment. They
look for input from outside parties and report recommended
actions through the Constituent Services Representative on the
HASC Board.
HASC LA Office, Board Room
515 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1300
Los Angeles, CA 90071
HASC requested that the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors delay
taking action on the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure, which
would establish an annual fee to pay for clean water programs.
The measure, which is being proposed by the Los Angeles County
Flood Control District, fails to address a variety of issues that
include whether tax is permanent, lack of appeal process and it
does not offer fee reductions for parcel owners who do on-site
capture and treatment of water.
First 5 LA announced the release of the Baby Friendly Hospital
Initiative Cycle 3 Request for Proposals to support the
implementation of First 5 LA’s Best Start LA Baby-Friendly
Hospital Initiative. The Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative seeks
to improve initiation and duration of breastfeeding by improving
breastfeeding policies in birthing hospitals as well as increase
exclusive breastfeeding at discharge.
The California Emergency Medical Services Agency is currently
seeking interested parties to enter into a public/private
partnership to maintain the integrity of its Mobile Field
Hospital (MFH) program, which provides up to 600 beds of acute
care hospital surge capacity anywhere in the state within 72
hours.
EMSA’s MFH program was developed with an “all hazards” approach
to California’s hospital surge needs during emergencies. The MFH
program:
HASC hosted more than 45 hospital representatives in a meeting
with Healthy Way LA, the low-income health plan established under
the Medicaid 1115 waiver. The meeting sought to update private
non-contracted hospitals in Los Angeles County on program changes
as the program approaches its 17th month of operation.
The Los Angeles City Council voted 9 to 3 last week to direct
staff to pursue an exclusive waste shed. A motion by Councilman
Tom LaBonge calls for exempting hospitals.
HASC urges hospitals in the city of Los Angeles to contact their
local City Council representative to request that hospitals be
granted a full exemption under the Bureau of Sanitation’s
exclusive waste shed plan. A sample letter of opposition that
hospitals can customize, along with suggested talking points, is
available from the HASC Los Angeles office.
Healthy Way Los Angeles (HWLA) enrollment is at 197,529 as of
Aug. 30. Of this total, 66,220 are assigned to a DHS medical home
and 72,277 are assigned to a community (clinic) partner home.
There are also 59,032 auto-enrolled general relief clients who
are being assigned to a medical home.
HWLA enrollment did decrease from July to August due to
redetermination as well as issues associated with a software
transition.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) has proposed a Physician
Services for Indigents Program (PSIP) ER reimbursement rate
reduction to 9 percent from the current 14 percent of the
Official County Fee Schedule based on a projected shortfall in
state funding and increased claim volume.
The Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency invites
hospital CEOs and other C-suite representatives, as well as
emergency/risk management staff and IT recovery planners to
attend Integrating Business Continuity Planning Into Your
Emergency Management Program on Thursday, Sept. 13 in
Carson.
Healthy Way LA (HWLA), part of the California Health Care
Coverage Initiative that seeks to expand health care coverage for
eligible individuals who potentially will be eligible for
Medi-Cal with the expansion of Medicaid coverage in 2014,
continues its enrollment throughout the county.
The Department of Health Services has enrolled 200,924 low-income
county residents into the program as of June 30, 2012. Of those,
77,215 are in DHS medical homes and 83,230 are in Community
Partner (CP) clinic medical homes.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the 2012-13
($24.529 billion) Recommended Budget that closed a projected
$75.8 million budget gap with one-time budget solutions. The
Board also approved a staff recommendation that AB 109 prison
realignment funds estimated at $272.4 million be set aside until
its Supplemental Budget discussion in October when the Board will
align its final budget with the state approved budget.
The chief executive officer (CEO) for Los Angeles County released
the $23.781 billion FY 2012-13 Recommended County Budget. This
recommended budget represents a total 2.3 percent decline from
the 2011-12 budget of $24.346 billion. A reduction in the
Hospital Enterprise Fund is attributed to decreased state revenue
collected from court fines/collections (Maddy).
At the department level, no countywide curtailment plan is being
proposed in the recommended budgets submitted by Health Services,
Public Health and Mental Health.
