YEE BILL WOULD PROVIDE HEALTHCARE FOR 200,000 CALIFORNIA CHILDREN AND SAVE STATE MILLIONS
California Political Desk
April 15, 2008
SACRAMENTO – Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) has introduced legislation to increase the number of California children with healthcare while also saving the state millions of dollars.
SB 1459, which will be considered by the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday, would create the California Health Care Program (Cal-Health) and is expected to provide coverage to an additional 370,000 Californians, including approximately 200,000 children.
Through Cal-Health, the State will be able to draw additional Federal funding on a 2 to 1 match, which combined with the elimination of administrative waste that occurs from program duplication and a cumbersome eligibility process, is expected to save California $41 million to $100 million.
"Two-thirds of uninsured children in California are eligible for Medical or Healthy Families, but are not enrolled and thus do not receive adequate healthcare," said Yee. "SB 1459 will allow licensed hospitals, clinics and other health facilities to presume children are eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families – eliminating expensive and unnecessary administrative costs."
In addition, the bill would expand coverage to parents of eligible children in families with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Health advocates believe if parents are insured, they will simultaneously enroll their children.
SB 1459 also requires health facilities to inform children and parents about the Cal-Health program, and in the case of urgent or emergency services, the bill allows patients to apply for the program after services have been rendered. Under Cal-Health, outreach will also be targeted at preschools and public elementary and secondary schools.
"We are proud to support Senator Yee´s SB 1459 because it would result in reducing the number of Californians without a health plan," said Donna Gerber of the California Nurses Association. "The current administrative waste and cumbersome eligibility process is financially indefensible in the midst of the ongoing budget deficits. SB 1459 is the perfect proposal in this budget year for getting hundreds of thousands of children the healthcare they need and deserve now."
"The formula behind a proposal that simultaneously results in net savings in year one and insures hundred of thousands of Californians, especially California children, is simple," said Ed Howard of Children´s Advocacy Institute. "If one streamlines how services are delivered while at the same time drawing down federal money, the State can modestly help address the budget shortfall while insuring more Californians."
SB 1459, which will be considered by the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday, would create the California Health Care Program (Cal-Health) and is expected to provide coverage to an additional 370,000 Californians, including approximately 200,000 children.
Through Cal-Health, the State will be able to draw additional Federal funding on a 2 to 1 match, which combined with the elimination of administrative waste that occurs from program duplication and a cumbersome eligibility process, is expected to save California $41 million to $100 million.
"Two-thirds of uninsured children in California are eligible for Medical or Healthy Families, but are not enrolled and thus do not receive adequate healthcare," said Yee. "SB 1459 will allow licensed hospitals, clinics and other health facilities to presume children are eligible for Medi-Cal or Healthy Families – eliminating expensive and unnecessary administrative costs."
In addition, the bill would expand coverage to parents of eligible children in families with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Health advocates believe if parents are insured, they will simultaneously enroll their children.
SB 1459 also requires health facilities to inform children and parents about the Cal-Health program, and in the case of urgent or emergency services, the bill allows patients to apply for the program after services have been rendered. Under Cal-Health, outreach will also be targeted at preschools and public elementary and secondary schools.
"We are proud to support Senator Yee´s SB 1459 because it would result in reducing the number of Californians without a health plan," said Donna Gerber of the California Nurses Association. "The current administrative waste and cumbersome eligibility process is financially indefensible in the midst of the ongoing budget deficits. SB 1459 is the perfect proposal in this budget year for getting hundreds of thousands of children the healthcare they need and deserve now."
"The formula behind a proposal that simultaneously results in net savings in year one and insures hundred of thousands of Californians, especially California children, is simple," said Ed Howard of Children´s Advocacy Institute. "If one streamlines how services are delivered while at the same time drawing down federal money, the State can modestly help address the budget shortfall while insuring more Californians."
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