February 28, 2013 – California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) just released their updated analysis of the Coordinated Care Initiative. See the LAO analysis here. The LAO warns that continued delay of a Duals Demonstration Memorandum of Understanding between the state and the federal government creates uncertainty regarding the timely and successful implementation of the CCI (currently scheduled for launch in Alameda County in April of 2014).
The LAO also states that “integration of IHSS under managed care is problematic” and recommends that the Legislature consider authorizing CCI to “test greater integration of In-Home Supportive Services… under managed care.” The current CCI legislation allows plans to increase, but not decrease, IHSS hours. The LAO’s troubling recommendation is to give at least one plan the ability to “fully integrate” IHSS (that is, the flexibility to increase AND decrease hours) during the third year of the demonstration.
In its recent analysis of the Governor’s proposed Health and Human Services budget, the LAO recommends that the pending 20% across-the-board cut to IHSS (currently blocked by a preliminary injunction), be repealed, in favor of extending the soon-to-expire 3.6% cut.
Return to the Coordinated Care Initiative page here.