On July 22, the Orange County Board of Supervisors eliminated interim payments to hospitals in the county program for those remaining uninsured (MSN), and approved policy to pay hospitals their full, contracted rates once claims are approved. HASC coordinated the advocacy effort on behalf of hospitals.

Also approved by the Board was the ability of individuals eligible for the MSN program and meeting specified criteria to enroll through community clinics (not just hospital emergency rooms). This change was also requested by hospitals.

The Board did not support, nor did County staff, the hospitals’ request for payments at the CalOptima Medi-Cal expansion rates, notwithstanding staff’s acknowledgement that county claims data substantiated the validity of the request. Program enrollment is currently extremely low. If enrollment and utilization increase, HASC will ask the Board to revisit the issue.

Contact: Julie Puentes

(714) 663-0294, jpuentes@hasc.org