Governor Signs Bill to Preserve Access to Specialty Care for Medically Fragile Children

SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ann-Louise Kuhns, CEO of the California Children’s Hospital Association,
released the following statement thanking Governor Brown for signing AB
187 (Bonta), a critical measure extending the life of the California
Children’s Services (CCS) program. Without AB 187, important medical,
rehab, and other CCS services used by 180,000 medically fragile children
could have been disrupted.

“Thank you Governor Brown for signing AB 187 (Bonta) and extending
the carve-out for the California Children’s Services (CCS) Program. We
appreciate the opportunity to work thoughtfully over the next year on
improvements that will best serve the 180,000 medically fragile children
who currently obtain critically needed care through CCS.

We will continue to cooperate with the Department of Health Care
Services to develop plans for CCS and Medi-Cal improvements; and we look
forward to working with CCS clients, their families, and other
stakeholders to assure continued access to quality pediatric specialty
care.”

The CCS program began in 1927 and provides diagnosis, treatment, and
medical case management to 180,000 children under the age of 21 who are
enrolled in Medi-Cal, are low income, or have catastrophic medical care
costs. The program serves California children with the most medically
complex conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hemophilia, epilepsy,
cerebral palsy, and congenital heart defects by linking them with the
physicians, hospitals and other health care providers their unique needs
require. CCS was specifically exempted from Medi-Cal managed care more
than 20 years ago. This is the ninth time the Legislature has voted, and
the Governor has approved keeping this program independent in order to
best serve medically fragile children and their families.

Contacts

California Children’s Hospital Association
Ann-Louise
Kuhns, 916-956-3685