Bills

This bill would delete the requirement that county eligibility workers automatically terminate an individual’s Medi-Cal coverage when mail is returned to the county as undeliverable. Status: Set for hearing 4/10/23.

SB 525 will raise to $25 the minimum wage for the lowest paid healthcare workers including those who provide services in nursing, caregiving, housekeeping, security, clerical, food services, laundry, and other patient-care related services. Status: Re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R. Set for hearing on 4/12/23. Read CANHR’s Support Letter.

This bill would require by July 1, 2024, the establishment of a direct patient-related services spending, reporting, and rebate requirement for skilled nursing facilities, with exceptions. Would require that a minimum of 85% of a facility’s total non-Medicare health revenues from all payer sources in each fiscal year be expended on residents’ direct patient-related services, as defined.

Would expand eligibility for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) program to aged, blind, and disabled individuals regardless of immigration status if the individual meets the eligibility criteria for the program and is not eligible solely due to their immigration status. Status: Re-referred to Committee on Appropriations

Will require mandated reporters to follow a single, simplified reporting process, and also require reports of abuse or neglect to be reported sooner than under the current system (e.g., 24 hours vs. 2 working days). Would ensure that criminal acts are reported to law enforcement first. This bill will ensure that residents of long-term care facilities have the same protections against elder abuse as persons who reside in their own homes.

Would require the Department of Health Care Services to establish a grant-based program to support outreach and education to encourage immigrants to become in-home supportive services (IHSS) providers, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for that purpose. Status: Referred to Committee on Human Services. Will be heard 4/18/23.

This bill would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to seek federal approval to make housing support services a Medi-Cal benefit. Status: Re-referred to Committee on Appropriations Read CANHR’s Support Letter.

The bill would codify existing law requiring most local law enforcement agencies to adopt a detailed, specific policy providing much better protection to the 8.5 million older adult Californians and to the 9 million California children and adults with disabilities. Status: Ordered to Consent Calendar. May be heard 4/19/23. Read CANHR’s Support Letter.

This bill would provide a more consistent framework for the appeals process across regulatory citations for long-term care facilities in California. This would reduce the burden on our superior court system and save judicial resources and taxpayer money. Furthermore, it would streamline and improve a process that is designed to hold negligent facilities (i.e., nursing homes) accountable.

SB 278 will strengthen California’s elder financial abuse protections by clarifying current language in statutes governing elder financial abuse under Welfare & Institutions Code §15610.30. Status: Will be heard 4/19/23. Read CANHR’s Support Letter

SB 311 would require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to submit a State Plan Amendment for California to become a Part A Buy-In State. SB 311 would benefit low-income older Californians and persons with disabilities, who rely on Medicare and Medi-Cal but struggle to pay costly Medicare Part A premiums, by simplifying the enrollment process for financial assistance.

Using the Workforce and Quality Incentive Program, under which a skilled nursing facility provides services to a Medi-Cal managed care enrollee, AB 488 would require that the program includes staff training and general facility improvements aimed at addressing the needs of skilled nursing facility residents with vision loss. This would include modifying facility registration documents, menus, activities, announcements, schedules and a variety of other materials that are seldom found in large print.