Conference Committee Continues through Health Agenda

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Conference Committee Continues through Health Agenda
06/09/2009

This morning the Budget Conference Committee continued through the health care agenda. The following actions were taken by the committee:

Held open elimination of General Fund support for clinic programs and the shift of Proposition 99 tobacco tax dollars for Expanded Access to Primary Care Clinics. Senator Ducheny argued that through other cuts, there will be an increase in the number of uninsured in California and clinics are the core safety net where uninsured low-income folks go, so we can’t decimate them as well. pp. 43-44 of Budget Conference Committee health agenda 6/5/09.

Adopted a 20% cut to General Fund support for domestic violence shelters. The May Revision proposal was to eliminate all GF support for shelters. P.65.

Held open proposed elimination of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Programs. p. 66.

Adopted elimination of Proposition 99 Funds for County Health Services, including $22.3 million for reimbursement to ER doctors and $2.5 million from Rural Health Services. P. 68

Held open reducing the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and several other reductions for AIDs and HIV services. Pp. 70-73

Held open the elimination of Healthy Families Program and the reduction of the program. Several Democratic members talked about the moral and fiscal issues involved with providing health care to lower-income children. The LAO discussed its proposal to raise premiums. Senator Ducheny noted that the program just raised premiums and she’s concerned about doing it again so soon and about the disenrollment the increase could cause. Senator Dutton and others talked about the possibility of using First Five funds to support the program and Ms. Cummings noted that the First Five Commissions had given $17 million to the program to avoid waiting lists earlier this year. Chairwoman Evans said she would not support elimination of the program but wanted to look at a package of options to reduce costs. Pp. 82-83.

The LAO withdrew their proposal for AIM to cover high deductibles rather than full coverage. P. 85.

Adopted reduction of $4.9 million in Proposition 99 funding for the AIM program – shifting it to the Medi-Cal program. P. 86.

Adopted reduction of $6.6 million in Proposition 99 funding for the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) – shifting it to the Medi-Cal program. P. 87.

Adopted funding increases of $12 million for Regional Centers to provide Medi-Cal optional benefits eliminated in the February Budget.

The committee reconvenes at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 to discuss the Department of Mental Health items.