SB 398: Acquired brain trauma.

(1)Existing law requires the Department of Rehabilitation to administer a program of services for persons with acquired traumatic brain injury. Under that program, service providers develop and utilize an individual service plan to identify the needs of consumers and deliver, either directly or by arrangement, coordinated services designed to meet those needs. Existing law authorizes the department to make grants from the funds in the Traumatic Brain Injury Fund to service providers for the purpose of carrying out the program and requires the department to pursue all sources of federal financial participation. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2019.

This bill would instead make that program operative until July 1, 2024. The bill would also make various changes to the program, including requiring the department to pursue all available sources of funding.

(2)Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, pursuant to which medical benefits are provided to public assistance recipients and certain other low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is partially governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions.

Existing law requires the department, by March 1, 2011, to submit to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a home- and community-based services waiver application or an amendment of the state plan for home- and community-based services, to serve at least 100 adults with acquired traumatic brain injuries who otherwise would require care in a Medi-Cal funded nursing facility or an intermediate care facility for persons with developmental disabilities.

This bill would repeal that provision requiring the submission of a waiver application or an amendment of the state plan.