After weeks of attempted negotiations with County staff to craft a program for caring for the County’s Section 17000 patients (those remaining uninsured starting January 1, 2014), OC hospitals took their case to the Board of Supervisors this week and secured commitments for Board review and oversight of the program that will enhance transparency and improve opportunities for collaboration between the County and hospitals going forward.

The Board of Supervisors also directed staff to modestly increase what the County is calling “interim” or partial payments for hospital services. Hospitals had protested the County’s plans to not pay agreed-upon rates at the time of claims submission but to instead make a partial payment with the possibility of paying hospitals the balance at the end of the contract term. The modest increase in interim payment levels makes this somewhat more palatable for hospitals. Of particular significance to hospitals, the Board directed over staff’s objections not to reduce payments to hospitals without Board approval.

While the Board did not approve the hospitals’ request for an initial six-month agreement with an evaluation at six months, the Board did ask for an evaluation at the six-month mark with this evaluation coming back to the Board for consideration as to adjustments that would need to be made in the program design.

SB 82 Triage Grant

Also in Orange County this week, the Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized County Behavioral Health to proceed with an SB 82 triage grant application that is supported by the hospitals. In addition to working with the County on the triage grant applications, hospitals and the County are working together to establish a PES or Psychiatric Emergency Services facility in Orange County to more effectively serve patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies.

Contact: Julie Puentes
(714) 663-0294, jpuentes@hasc.org