REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 22, 2023
FROM
WILLIAM L. GILBERT, Director, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
SUBJECT
Title
Master Employment Agreement for Medi-Cal Specialist
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Master Employment Agreement for Medi-Cal Specialist, with an annual cost of 77,308 per position, effective September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2026, with the option to extend the term for a maximum of two successive one-year periods.
2. Authorize the Director of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center to execute individual employment agreements, and any amendments to extend the term of the individual employment agreements, for a maximum of two successive one-year periods, on behalf of the County, subject to County Counsel review.
(Presenter: William L. Gilbert, Director, 580-6150)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The annual cost of $77,308 per Medi-Cal Specialist, which includes $57,408 for salary and $19,900 for benefits, is funded by State Medi-Cal, Federal Medicare, private insurances, and other departmental revenue. Funding sources may change in the future pending any legislative activity related to the repeal and/or replacement of the Affordable Care Act. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s (ARMC) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program and provides health coverage for low-income adults and children. The Master Employment Agreement will allow ARMC to hire Medi-Cal Specialists and increase Medi-Cal enrollment services at the hospital. The Medi-Cal Specialist will work with uninsured low-income patients to help them complete Medi-Cal applications to enroll in the program. ARMC currently has eight positions at the hospital, with two currently vacant, for the Medi-Cal Specialist position. Approval of this item will help to fill the two vacancies.
Medi-Cal benefits include outpatient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, behavioral health treatment, laboratory services, prescription drugs, pediatric services, physical and operational therapy and laboratory services. The Medi-Cal Specialist will help individuals complete program applications, send applications to the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) for processing, and act as a liaison between the patient and TAD (as needed) to address application issues or eligibility questions.
The duties of the Medi-Cal Specialist include but are not limited to daily census for inpatient service, tracking for the emergency room, interviewing the patients and their family, reviewing their medical diagnosis, prognosis and length of medical disability. These tasks help to determine the most appropriate Medi-Cal programs for the patient. The Medi-Cal Specialist serves as a type of patient financial advocate by assisting with all the paperwork, documents, reports, logs needed.
ARMC recommends approval of the Master Employment Agreement to provide for the safety, health and social service needs of County residents by increasing access to healthcare coverage in the region.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Cynthia O’Neill, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387- 5455) on July 24, 2023; Human Resources (Gina King, Assistant Director, 386-8623) on July 24, 2023; ARMC Finance (Chen Wu, Finance and Budget Officer, 580-3165) on July 31, 2023; Finance (Jenny Yang, Administrative Analyst, 387-4884) on August 1, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 1, 2023.