(a) The sheriff, or his or her designee, after conferring with the physician who has oversight for providing medical care, or the physician’s designee, may request the court to grant medical probation or to resentence a prisoner to medical probation in lieu of jail time for any prisoner sentenced to a county jail under either of the following circumstances:
(1) The prisoner is physically incapacitated with a medical condition that renders the prisoner permanently unable to perform activities of basic daily living, which has resulted in the prisoner requiring 24-hour care, if that incapacitation did not exist at the time of sentencing.
(2) The prisoner would require acute long-term inpatient rehabilitation services.
(b) Before a prisoner’s release to medical probation, the sheriff, or his or her designee, shall secure a placement option for the prisoner in the community and, in consultation with the county welfare department or another applicable county agency, examine the prisoner’s eligibility for federal Medicaid benefits or other medical coverage that might assist in funding the prisoner’s medical treatment while in the community.
(c) During the time on probation pursuant to this section, the probation officer or court may, at any time, request a medical reexamination of the probationer by a physician who has oversight for providing medical care to prisoners in a county jail, or the physician’s designee. If the court determines, based on that medical examination, that the probationer’s medical condition has improved to the extent that the probationer no longer qualifies for medical probation, the court may return the probationer to the custody of the sheriff.
(d) (1) For any probationer granted medical probation pursuant to this section who is eligible for Medi-Cal, the county shall continue to pay the nonfederal share of the probationer’s Medi-Cal costs. After a probationer is released from medical probation, the county shall no longer be required to pay the nonfederal share of the Medi-Cal costs.
(2) For any probationer granted medical probation pursuant to this section who is ineligible for Medi-Cal, the county shall consider whether the probationer has private medical insurance or sufficient income or assets to provide for his or her own medical care. If the county determines that the probationer can provide for his or her own medical care, the county shall not be required to provide the probationer with medical care.
(e) (1) This section shall be implemented only to the extent that a court sentences a person to medical probation pursuant to this section and the sheriff does both of the following:
(A) Sends a letter to the State Department of Health Care Services agreeing to do both of the following:
(i) Notify the State Department of Health Care Services, in writing, when a probationer released pursuant to this section has applied for Medi-Cal.
(ii) Notify the State Department of Health Care Services, in writing, if a probationer released pursuant to this section, who is Medi-Cal eligible, is returned to the custody of the sheriff. The chief probation officer shall notify the State Department of Health Care Services, in writing, when a Medi-Cal eligible probationer’s term of medical probation ends.
(B) For the period of time the offender is on medical probation:
(i) Reimburses the State Department of Health Care Services for the nonfederal share of the Medi-Cal costs and any medical costs paid by the State Department of Health Care Services that are not reimbursable pursuant to Title XIX or XXI of the federal Social Security Act, for an offender released pursuant to this section.
(ii) Provides to the State Department of Health Care Services the nonfederal share of the state’s administrative costs associated with this section.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the implementation of this section shall not result in increased costs to the General Fund.
(3) Participation in the program under this section is voluntary for purposes of all applicable federal law. This section shall be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation for the Medi-Cal program is not jeopardized.
(f) Notwithstanding any other law, the State Department of Health Care Services may exempt individuals released pursuant to this section from mandatory enrollment in managed health care, including county-organized health plans and, as deemed necessary by the State Department of Health Care Services, may determine the proper prior authorization process for individuals who have been released pursuant to this section.
(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2, the State Department of Health Care Services, without taking any further regulatory action, may implement, interpret, and make specific this section by means of provider bulletins, all-county letters, manuals, or similar instructions until the time that regulations are adopted. Thereafter, the department shall adopt regulations in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2. Six months after the effective date of the act that added this subdivision, the department shall provide a status update to the Legislature on its efforts to adopt the regulations. Thereafter, notwithstanding Section 10231.5, the department shall report on the status of this effort to the Legislature on an annual basis, until the regulations have been adopted.
(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 23, Sec. 4. (AB 82) Effective June 27, 2013.)