Medi-Cal: CommuniCal.

Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, 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. Existing federal law provides for increased administrative funding for translation and interpretation services provided in connection with the enrollment, retention, and use of services under the Medicaid Program. This bill would require the department to establish the Medi-Cal Patient-Centered Communication program (CommuniCal) , to be administered by a 3rd-party administrator, to, commencing July 1, 2014, provide and reimburse for medical interpretation services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are limited English proficient (LEP) . This bill would establish the CommuniCal Program Fund in the State Treasury, which would consist of moneys dedicated to the CommuniCal program, to be used upon appropriation by the Legislature to the department solely to fund the CommuniCal program. Existing law provides for the certification of administrative hearing interpreters and medical examination interpreters for purposes of administrative adjudications. This bill would require the department to be the certifying body for CommuniCal certified medical interpreters (CCMIs) , and to authorize other interpreters meeting specified requirements, including a screening test, to provide CommuniCal services. The bill would require the department to (1) develop, monitor, and evaluate interpreter competency, qualifications, training, certification, and continuing education, (2) by September 1, 2014, approve an examination and certification process to test and certify the competency of medical interpreters, and (3) maintain a registry of those persons who meet the requirements to provide CommuniCal services. The bill would require the department to establish the Community Advisory Committee for purposes of assisting the department in the above-described tasks. The bill would also require the department to establish and charge fees that do not exceed reasonable costs for applicants to take any department-administered examinations and be certified or authorized and listed in the registry, and would require the department, in consultation with the Community Advisory Committee, to adopt quality standards and medical interpretation certification requirements through regulations. The Ralph C. Dills Act provides for employer-employee relations between the state and its employees, as specified, including, among other things, the right of state employees to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations for the purpose of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations, as specified. This bill would provide that CommuniCal interpreters would have the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of a labor organization of their own choosing for the purpose of representation of specified employer-employee matters. The bill would provide that CommuniCal interpreters would not be considered state employees for purposes of the bill, but would have the right to be represented by an exclusive labor organization of their own choosing for the purpose of collective bargaining with the state on matters of mutual concern, including their base reimbursement rate. The bill would provide that upon application by petition, authorization cards, or union membership cards of a labor organization adequately showing that a majority of CommuniCal interpreters in the state desire to be represented exclusively by that labor organization, and no other labor organization is currently certified as the exclusive representative, the Public Employment Relations Board shall certify and grant exclusive representation to that labor organization, and would establish other election procedures to be administered by that board. The bill would require that any agreement resulting from collective bargaining be legally binding upon the state and committed to writing, and would further require that, upon the completion of discussions and collective bargaining, any agreement be reduced to writing and be presented to the appropriate administrative, legislative, or other governing body in the form of a binding agreement, resolution, bill, law, or other form required for adoption. The bill would provide that, after the certification of a labor organization, the state shall approve and have deducted, upon authorization in the case of dues deduction, from the appropriate reimbursement or other payment to the members of the labor organization the monthly amount of dues or service fees as certified by an executive officer of the labor organization, and shall transmit the amount to the treasurer of the labor organization.