Medi-Cal: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT).

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 law provides that Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) for any individual under 21 years of age is covered under Medi-Cal consistent with the requirements of federal law. Under federal law, EPSDT services include screening services, vision services, dental services, hearing services, and other necessary services to correct or ameliorate defects and physical and mental illnesses and conditions discovered by the screening services, whether or not the services are covered under the state plan. This bill would require the department to permit county mental health plans to contract with local educational agencies (LEAs) , as defined, to provide services for Medi-Cal eligible pupils under EPSDT. The bill would also require the department to permit a county mental health plan to obtain federal financial participation on behalf of nonpublic agencies that contract with an LEA to provide EPSDT services if the LEA does not have a contract with the county mental health plan. The bill would also require the department to examine methodologies for increasing LEA participation in the Medi-Cal program so that schools can meet the educationally related health care needs of their pupils.