California Strengthens Medicaid Health Plan Responsibility For Developmental Disability Screenings

On September 30, 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 1004, strengthening Medicaid health plan responsibility for developmental disability screenings as a part of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) services. The bill requires that screening services provided as an EPSDT benefit include developmental screening services for children ages 0 to 3. The bill also requires Medi-Cal managed care plans to ensure that professionals who contract with these plans render the screening services according to specified standards.

Under existing law, the screenings can be provided by Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) provider organization networks for . . .