Air ambulance services.

(1) Existing law imposes a penalty of $4 until July 1, 2021, upon every conviction for a violation of the Vehicle Code or a local ordinance adopted pursuant to the Vehicle Code, other than a parking offense. The act requires the county or court that imposed the fine to transfer the revenues collected to the Treasurer for deposit into the Emergency Medical Air Transportation and Children's Coverage Fund. Existing law requires the assessed penalty to continue to be collected, administered, and distributed until exhausted or until December 31, 2022, whichever occurs first. These provisions remain in effect until January 1, 2024, and are repealed effective January 1, 2025. This bill would extend the assessment of penalties pursuant to the above-described provisions until December 31, 2022, and would extend the collection and transfer of penalties until December 31, 2023. By extending the length of time a county is required to collect and transfer the fines imposed, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law authorizes an eligible provider to receive increased reimbursement, by application of an add-on increase to the associated Medi-Cal fee-for-service payment schedule, for emergency medical transports provided to applicable Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and excludes air ambulances from that increased reimbursement. Effective January 1, 2023, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, this bill would require the department to design and implement a supplemental payment program for emergency medical air transportation services to increase the Medi-Cal reimbursement in an amount not to exceed normal and customary charges charged by qualified emergency medical air transportation providers. The bill would require the department to seek any necessary federal approvals to implement these provisions and would make these provisions inoperative if the federal Centers for Medicare or Medicaid Services denies approval for the implementation of these provisions, if the Legislature fails to appropriate funds, as specified, or if a lawsuit related to this implementation is filed against the state and a preliminary injunction or other order is issued that results in a financial disadvantage to the state, including, but not limited to, a loss of federal financial participation. The bill would authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific these provisions, in whole or in part, and any applicable federal waivers and state plan amendments by means of plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions without taking any further regulatory action. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.