Grassroots Action Center

Grassroots Action Center

CASH DELAY SURVEY — Word version PDF version

CALL TO ACTION AB 1434 (Dymally)

AB 1434 – Immediate Action Needed
Fax letters of support now! Bill exempts ICF/DDs from Medi-Cal Payment Delays.

AB 1434 (Dymally) will: (1) exempt intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled from the Medi-Cal payment delays scheduled for the month of August; and (2) will allow ICF/DDs to continue to receive payments for services provided in the event that a state budget is delayed.

This CAHF-sponsored legislation is being introduced because intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled (ICF/DDs) are disproportionately dependent on Medi-Cal reimbursement, and the recently approved Medi-Cal payment delays will be particularly devastating for both beneficiaries and providers.

We received word today that AB 1434 is scheduled to be heard in Senate Health Committee on June 25. The bill's author, Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, has asked that we fax letters of support for this legislation before the end of the day on Wednesday, June 18. This leaves very little time to generate letters, but please do your best.

Please do the following:

Copy the suggested letter text below, paste it into your own document and edit it to add your personal information.
Then print the letter on your letterhead.
Fax your letter to Senator Sheila Kuehl, Chair of the Senate Health Committee at fax # (916) 324-0384.
Send a copy of the fax to Senator Dymally's office, c/o Keda Alcala-Obledo, at (916) 319-2152.

SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable Sheila Kuehl
Chair, Senate Health Committee
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

RE: AB 1434 (Dymally) – Support

Dear Senator Kuehl:

I am writing to express my strong support for AB 1434 (Dymally), which would exempt intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled (ICF/DD, ICF/DD-H, and ICF/DD-N from the one month Medi-Cal payment delay proposed for August 2008, and would allow the State Controller to continue payments to DD providers in the event of an extended budget delay.

I am a provider of services to the developmentally disabled. The clients who reside in my facility require continuous, 24-hour care and services for complex or chronic medical conditions. Because I rely on Medi-Cal to fund nearly 100 percent of the services provided, I have no way to compensate for a major delay in Medi-Cal payments. I am not able to shift costs to other payers, generate revenue from alternative sources or reduce services (without either turning away clients or placing them in serious jeopardy).

In addition, ICF/DD providers (like me) operate on narrow margins and have very little or no equity; in an already compromised credit market, many providers will not be able to secure the loans necessary to meet expenses on-going expenses if payments are delayed. To the extent that some providers are forced to reduce or eliminate services, our clients may end up in acute hospitals and nursing facilities - at exponentially higher cost to the Medi-Cal program.

For these reasons, I urge your support for AB 1434 (Dymally).

Sincerely,

(Your name)

cc:

Keda Alcala-Obledo, Assembly Member Dymally's office, fax (916) 319-2152

Roger Dunstan, Consultant, Senate Health Committee, fax: (916) 324-4823

If you have questions regarding this request or would like to discuss this matter further, please contact CAHF staff, Mary Jann at (916) 441-6400, extension 227 or via e-mail at mjann@cahf.org.

California Association of Health Facilities | 2201 K St., PO Box 537004
Sacramento, CA 95853 | 916.441.6400 | Fax 916.441.6441