I am a person living with hemophilia (or Von Willebrand Disease). I strongly urge you to sign SB 586 (Hernandez) into law.
SB 586 provides protections for patients with chronic health conditions, like hemophilia and Von Willebrand Disease, as the State moves to place many of the CA Children’s Services (CCS) eligible patients into Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, starting as early in 2017, under the new “CCS Whole Child Model” of care.
Patients like me, who infuse clotting factor on a regular basis, need to maintain access to the hematologist who has expertise in managing my care. This cost effective model, allows me to see my specialist for comprehensive care at least once per year and allows me to maintain my good health and my active lifestyle. It is critical that I see a hematologist who has expertise in treating hemophilia and similar rare bleeding disorders.
SB 586 has robust continuity of care provisions for patients like me, such as allowing me to keep my specialist during the first year, to give my specialist time to get a contract with the County Organized Health System. SB 586 also has provisions for maintaining CCS state standards and credentialing of specialists. Finally, SB 586 has an appeals process, as well as a section to provide for more family input on the State CCS Advisory Group.
For all of these reasons, I respectfully request that you sign SB 586 into law!
