Medi-Cal: nonemergency transportation services: broker pilot program.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services, including nonemergency medical transportation services, are provided to qualified low-income persons. This bill would require the department to establish a 2-year pilot program in at least 3 consenting counties to evaluate a nonemergency medical transportation model in which the state would contract with a broker to manage the provision of nonemergency medical transportation services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. This bill would require the department to monitor the pilot program, evaluate the outcomes and savings, and provide the fiscal committees of the Legislature with a report on its findings and recommendations. If the department determines the pilot program to be cost effective, the bill would authorize the department to implement the program statewide at any time and continue operation of the program indefinitely.