Medi-Cal: podiatric services.

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, including podiatric services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law provides that prior authorization for podiatric services provided on an outpatient or inpatient basis is not required if specified conditions are met, including an urgent or emergency need for services at the time of service. This bill would repeal these provisions, and would instead prohibit the requirement of prior authorization for podiatric services provided by a doctor of podiatric medicine if a physician and surgeon rendering the same services would not be required to provide prior authorization. The bill would clarify that a doctor of podiatric medicine acting within their scope of practice and providing specified services is subject to the same Medi-Cal billing and services policies as required for a physician and surgeon, including a maximum numerical service limitation in any one calendar month.