Medi-Cal and the Affordable Care Act

Part of the Affordable Care Act includes the ability for states to choose to expand their Medicaid program. In California, the program is called Medi-Cal. There have been problems with this program in the past. Here is a brief summary of what California is planning to do in regards to the expansion. In December of 2012, a U.S. Court of Appeals made a decision about a situation that had been going on since sometime in 2009. The state of California cut the reimbursement rate for doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who treated patients who were covered by Medi-Cal. … Continue reading

Court Approves California Cuts to Medi-Cal Providers

There has been an ongoing saga in California about cuts to providers who treat patients that are covered by Medi-Cal. More than one court case has been filed about this situation. Now, a federal appeals court has approved the reimbursement cut to providers who see Medi-Cal patients. This story has been going on for quite some time. In 2008 and 2009, the state of California legislature cut the reimbursement fees that it paid to hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers. In some cases, the cut to the reimbursement rate was as high as 10%. In 2011, the state of … Continue reading