Highlights of MDCH Budget/Policy Issues in Maternal and Child Health


· 45 million state and 9 million local dollars for 0-5 Parenting Support efforts in the Gun Control Bill.

· 3.7 million new (Total now 8.7 million) in 0-3 Parenting Support.

· MSS/ISS Agreement Package with local health and managed care organizations (This is not in the actual budget). Key Provisions are:

• No Prior Authorization will be required for these services.

• Only state certified providers will be used.

• Self referral is now possible (Before a Doctor's referral was required).

• Each MSS/ISS service will be coordinated with Medical Care so medical providers will be apprized of issues as they evolve.

• Each case will be summarized and reported to the medical providers as to results.

Additionally, the Legislature has required that 100% of pregnant women will be screened for MSS needs.

· Medicaid has changed policies for pregnant women:

• Program L Women (those who qualify for Medicaid because they are pregnant) will no longer be required to enroll for Managed Care (The process took up to four months).

• Program L Women will be determined to be presumptively eligible (if the preponderance of the evidence looks like they will be eligible they will be given a letter of assurance that the provider will be paid). All services will be paid for up to the date of determination (and beyond if she is found to be eligible). This means that approximately 2/3 of pregnant women will have immediate access to fee for service care (about 40,000 women a year).

· For the first time in twelve years School Based Health Services will receive an increase in their base funding. $850,000.00 has been allocated to this end for the 20 existing centers.

· An additional $10 million had been requested to increase the number of School Based Centers, (this will be a target for the future).

· CSHCS Medicaid Services were increased by about $16 million.

· $400,000.00 was added to the prevention line (The Governor's recommendation was to cut the program by $500,000.00).

· Mental Health Privatization Process is on hold and the Legislature has introduced legislation to control that process and has been holding hearings.

· MI-Child Services are increased about $3 million.

· Major pilots for Dental Health access in twenty-two Northern Michigan centers are approved.

· General Medicaid providers - increases range from 4% to 11.7%.

· EPSDT review and improvements are required in the bill.

· $8 million was returned to local health departments for outreach services for MSS/EPSDT ($7 million was moved last year to the health plans - this was reversed and increased).

· Local health departments will be free to do lead, vision, and hearing screenings (Last year only managed care plans could do this).

· The Governor sets new target (92%) for childhood immunizations. Current levels show an 85% immunization rate for 1999.

· Injury Control Project (Safe Kids) - $500,000.00.

· $695,000.00 for MICHCare exansion.

• 1999 Budget Analysis is also available