Local educational agency: Medi-Cal billing option.

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 by, and funded pursuant to, federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law establishes the Administrative Claiming process under which the department is authorized to contract with local governmental agencies and local educational consortia for the purpose of obtaining federal matching funds to assist with the performance of administrative activities relating to the Medi-Cal program that are provided by a local governmental agency or local educational agency (LEA) . Existing law requires the department to engage in specified activities relating to the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option, including amending the Medicaid state plan to ensure that schools are reimbursed for all eligible services, consulting with specified entities in formulating state plan amendments, examining methodologies for increasing school participation in the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option, and conducting an audit of a Medi-Cal Billing Option claim consistent with prescribed requirements, such as generally accepted accounting principles. Existing law requires the department to issue and regularly maintain a program guide for the LEA Medi-Cal Billing Option program. Existing law requires the department to file an annual report with the Legislature that includes, among other things, a summary of department activities. This bill would require the department, when conducting an audit of a Medi-Cal Billing Option claim, to complete the audit and notify the LEA of the findings within 18 months of the date that the Cost and Reimbursement Comparison Schedule (CRCS) is submitted. The bill would require the department to provide an interim settlement or final settlement within 12 months of the March 1 due date for the CRCS. The bill would require the department to update and distribute the program guide to all participating LEAs by July 1, 2024, as specified. The bill would require the department's summary of activities in the above-described report to also include training for LEAs and a summary of the number of audits conducted of Medi-Cal Billing Option claims, as specified. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.