Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program: trauma screening.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services, including early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) for any individual under 21 years of age who is covered under the Medi-Cal program, consistent with certain federal requirements. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law requires the department to convene an advisory working group to update, amend, or develop, if appropriate, tools and protocols for the screening of children for trauma, within the EPSDT benefit. Existing law requires that the group be disbanded on December 31, 2019, and requires, on or before May 1, 2019, the department to identify an existing advisory working group to periodically review and consider the protocols for the screening of trauma in children at least once every 5 years, or upon the request of the department. This bill would require the department, in order to ensure the success and sustainability of trauma screenings for children as part of the EPSDT benefit, to provide trainings for certain personnel, including, among other things, instruction on how to identify and make appropriate referrals for patients who have tested positive in trauma screenings. The bill would require the department to create specified codes for the administration of, and compliance with, trauma screening requirements, and to submit a related annual report to the Legislature. The bill would require the department to evaluate the potential for integrating current tools used by the department with validated trauma screening tools to produce a single, validated tool, and to report the department's findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than December 31, 2023. The bill would require the implementation of these provisions only if, and to the extent that, federal financial participation is not jeopardized and all necessary federal approvals have been obtained.