Federal Judge Orders Temporary Halt To Medi-Cal Rate Cuts - 08/21/08
On Tuesday, August 19, a federal judge issued a temporary order to halt the 10% Medi-Cal provider rate reduction that went into effect July 1, 2008. The temporary order was given because Judge Snyder concluded that the lawsuit to stop the rate cuts, which has not yet gone to trial, could prevail. Two issues of particular importance in her decision were: 1). The irreparable harm that would be caused to Medi-Cal providers; and 2). The diminished access and care that would result from the cuts.

Unfortunately, providers will still not receive their payments until the Governor and Legislature have agreed to a budget. A coming lawsuit, however, hopes to determine that the state is required to continue payments to providers whether or not a budget is in place. On August 20, in an effort to find a compromise on the state budget, Governor Schwarzenegger called for an additional $2 billion to be cut while committing to cover the remaining deficit with temporary tax increases and other revenue enhancements. If the state ultimately loses the Medi-Cal reimbursement case, it could face an additional $575 million hole on top of the $15.2 billion deficit. Click here for a full PDF of the order issued by Judge Snyder.

CAHSAH Debuts Certification Program- 07/21/08
CAHSAH is pleased to announce that its Home Care Aide Organization Certification Program is NOW AVAILABLE!  This program allows home care aide organizations or components of home care organizations which provide home care aide services to submit evidence that they meet CAHSAH’s Minimum Standards for Home Care Aide Organizations. Click here for further details.

New CAHSAH Group Purchasing Program- 07/21/08
Strategic Healthcare Programs, LLC (SHP) awarded benchmarking and business intelligence GPO contract. For details, click here.

EMPLOYERS VICTORIOUS – AB 2716 (Ma) Dies In Committee - 08/08/08
Assembly Member Ma’s sick leave bill, AB 2716, which could have made California the first state to mandate sick leave for all workers, died in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, August 7. CAHSAH worked closely with a coalition of employers and organizations who sternly opposed the measure and were hopeful that the bill could be killed in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Defeat of the bill is attributed to the increased costs the state would have incurred. The bill was placed on the Senate Appropriations Suspense file because implementing and enforcing the bill would have cost the state nearly $900,000 next year – and perhaps many millions more if the state were ordered to reimburse counties for the sick leave of workers providing in-home services for the elderly, blind and disabled.

CAHSAH would like to thank all of our members who took time out of their busy schedules to mobilize grassroots efforts by sending letters of opposition or placing calls to legislator’s offices. It is likely that this bill will be reintroduced next year, as Assembly Member Ma has already told the press that she will bring the bill back next year.