KNABE, SUPERVISORS TO MEET WITH FEDERAL LEADERS

 

 

 

NEWS FROM DON KNABE

Supervisor, Fourth District

County of Los Angeles

822 Hahn Hall of Administration

 

 

 

        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           Contact:         David A. Sommers

                                                                                                                    (213) 974-1095

                                                                                                                   (213) 453-6446 (cell)

 

KNABE, SUPERVISORS TO MEET WITH FEDERAL LEADERS

 

LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2010 – Supervisor Don Knabe will be in Washington, D.C. next week, meeting with federal leaders to urge the approval of a new Medicaid Waiver that will help Los Angeles County implement health care reform, and seek passage of legislation that will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in local fiscal relief, and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs across the region.

 

Knabe will also be advocating for the continuation of the C-17 program at Boeing’s Long Beach Plant, and working to secure additional funding for dredging in Marina del Rey.  Complete information about the Federal advocacy trip, including issue papers, meeting schedules, and talking points are available on Supervisor Knabe’s Washington, D.C. website:  www.knabe.com/dc.

 

        Also on the agenda for Washington, D.C.:

 

A New Medicaid Waiver

The County urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve California’s Medicaid Waiver request which will help the County health care delivery system to prepare to implement health care reform.  California’s current Medicaid Waiver, which is set to expire on August 31^st, provides $900 million in annual financial assistance to the County’s public health care safety-net system.

 

Approve a Provider Fee for Public & Private Hospitals

Seeking to stabilize public hospital financing, an agreement was negotiated in 2009 that would enable the State to fund new supplemental payments to hospitals that serve Medicaid patients by imposing a new Hospital Provider Fee that would be used to attract federal matching funds.  The County is requesting immediate approval of this fee, which is still under consideration by CMS.  Los Angeles County’s public health care safety-net system would receive $137 million annually in sorely needed funding.

 

Extend the Temporary Increase in the Federal Match Rate for Medicaid, Foster Care and Adoption Assistance for an Additional Six Months

It is essential that Federal jobs legislation currently being considered by Congress include significant fiscal relief, through an extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate.  The County is asking Congress for a six-month extension through June 30, 2011, which would reduce the County’s share of Medicaid, foster care and adoption costs by roughly $170 million.

 

Extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for an Additional Year

The $5 billion Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF) is another critically important fiscal relief and job creation tool. Known locally as the 10,000 Jobs Program, this fund has enabled the County to place thousands of youth and unemployed low-income adults into subsidized jobs.  Besides using TANF ECF to already create well over 10,000 youth and adults jobs, the County will also use the fund to implement a 2010 summer youth employment program, which could provide subsidized jobs to more than 15,000 low-income and foster youth.  The County will be urging Congress to extend this program, with increased funding, for an additional year.

 

Fully fund the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP)

SCAAP reimburses the County’s costs of incarcerating undocumented illegal immigrants.  Inadequate SCAAP funding has resulted in the County being reimbursed for far less than it spends. In FFY 2010, SCAAP was funded at $330 million – far below its authorized funding level of $950 million. Every dollar spent by the County on jailing undocumented criminal aliens not reimbursed by SCAAP means a dollar less that can be spent on other essential public safety services.

 

        Supervisor Knabe can be reached in Washington, D.C. through David Sommers, (213) 453-6446, or dsommers@bos.lacounty.gov.

 

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