Medi-Cal: cards.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Under existing law, the department is required to issue each person who is eligible for Medi-Cal, as specified, with a card certifying his or her status, identification number, expiration date, and his or her entitlements, insofar as these do not require specific prior authorization. This bill would require the department to implement a system whereby health care personnel with access to a person's Medi-Cal card are made aware if the person has previously accessed mental health services through the Medi-Cal system.