AB 835: Medi-Cal: skilled nursing facility services.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions.

Existing law, the Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Reimbursement Act, requires the department, subject to any necessary federal approvals, for managed care rating periods that begin between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2026, inclusive, to establish and implement the Workforce and Quality Incentive Program. Under that program, a network provider furnishing skilled nursing facility services to a Medi-Cal managed care enrollee is authorized to earn performance-based directed payments from the Medi-Cal managed care plan with which they contract, as specified, in addition to other certain payments.

This bill would remove from the above-described provision the qualification that the provider be within the network. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. Under the bill, pursuant to conditions of eligibility for directed payments under certain federal regulations, payments made under the Workforce and Quality Incentive Program would be retroactively calculated and paid based on the total number of days, effective July 9, 2024, during which the facility provided services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries, regardless of whether the facility was a network provider.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. February 2, 2026From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2. January 31, 2026Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
3. May 23, 2025In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
4. May 14, 2025In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
5. April 23, 2025From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
6. March 17, 2025Re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
7. March 13, 2025From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
8. March 13, 2025Referred to Com. on HEALTH.
9. February 20, 2025From printer. May be heard in committee March 22.
10. February 19, 2025Read first time. To print.