Lawsuit Filed Against DHCS Over Medi-Cal Managed Care Shift

California Healthline

A legal aid group has filed a lawsuit on behalf of five Medi-Cal beneficiaries, alleging that the state violated beneficiaries' rights by forcing them into managed care, the Los Angeles Times reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program (Gorman, Los Angeles Times, 12/23/12). The group -- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles -- filed the lawsuit on Dec. 21, 2012, against the California Department of Health Care Services (AP/San Jose Mercury News, 12/21/12). Background: A few years ago, California received federal approval to shift 340,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries -- specifically, seniors and people with disabilities -- into managed care plans. The shift aims to reduce state spending by $151 million annually and provide the beneficiaries with more comprehensive care.

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