PLACER COUNTY

With around 7,000 Placer residents expected to lose Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) in the coming year, Placer County is searching for solutions to help meet its legal requirement to provide indigent health care even as costs soar.

The county’s board of supervisors recently approved an agreement to join the County Medical Services Program, a move aimed at preserving access to basic health care for eligible residents who lose coverage. However, officials stress the need for more state support to help counties meet state requirements.

Indigent care refers to basic medical services provided to low-income adults who cannot afford health coverage that counties are legally required to provide under California Welfare and Institutions Code 17000.

Without state-level action, counties will see indigent care costs grow substantially, even though dedicated funding for these programs has largely disappeared. The state Legislature had approved allocating $125 million to help establish Protect Access to Healthcare, a “fail-safe” emergency services only Medi-Cal benefit for residents who lose Medi-Cal eligibility due to federal work requirements.

That benefit would have redirected many of those residents away from county medical indigent care programs, which had largely fallen by the wayside under the Affordable Care Act and recent expansions to Medi-Cal that mainly covered more low-income adults. However, the final agreement between the Legislature and the governor excluded this benefit, placing greater pressure on local budgets.

~ Placer County press release