This measure would proclaim specified principles as the Cancer Patients' Bill of Rights to make clear the Legislature supports the best cancer care for cancer patients in the state.
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 federally qualified health center (FQHC) services and rural health clinic (RHC) services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law provides that FQHC and RHC services are to be reimbursed, to the extent that federal financial participation is obtained, to providers on a per-visit basis. "Visit" is defined as a face-to-face encounter between a patient of an FQHC or RHC and specified health care professionals, including a physician and marriage and family therapist. Under existing law, "physician," for these purposes, includes, but is not limited to, a physician and surgeon, an osteopath, and a podiatrist. This bill would authorize reimbursement for a maximum of 2 visits taking place on the same day at a single location if after the first visit the patient suffers illness or injury requiring additional diagnosis or treatment, or if the patient has a medical visit and a mental health visit or a dental visit, as defined. The bill would authorize an FQHC or RHC that currently includes the cost of a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as a single visit for purposes of establishing the FQHC's or RHC's rate to apply for an adjustment to its per-visit rate, and after the department has approved that rate adjustment, to bill a medical visit and a mental health visit that take place on the same day at a single location as separate visits, in accordance with the bill. This bill would also include a licensed acupuncturist within those health professionals covered under the definition of a "visit." The bill would require the department, by July 1, 2022, to submit a state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reflect certain changes described in the bill, and to seek necessary federal approvals. The bill would also make conforming and technical changes.
Existing law authorizes the Department of Food and Agriculture to expend in accordance with law all money which is made available for its use. Existing law, the Apiary Protection Act, provides for the regulation and management of apiaries, including regulations for bees used in the pollination of agricultural crops. This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, allocate $5,000,000 from the General Fund to the department in order to provide funding to partner with the University of California Cooperative Extension, California resource conservation districts, and the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service to deliver technical assistance and outreach, and provide grants to incentivize participation in state and federal conservation programs where pollinator habitat and forage is established. The bill would make related findings and declarations. The bill would authorize the Department of Food and Agriculture to use the allocated moneys to pay for all reasonable administrative and implementation costs of the department relating to the bill.
This measure would proclaim October 21, 2021, as Latina Equal Pay Day in California, in recognition of the need to eliminate the gender gap in earnings by women and to promote policies to ensure equal pay for all.
This measure would designate the highway overcrossing in the City of Visalia off Plaza Drive and California State Route 198 at postmile R4.796 as the Harry Tow Memorial Highway Overcrossing. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost, to erect those signs.
This measure would declare August 7, 2021, as Purple Heart Day in California.
