Section 14148.03.

(a) Pursuant to options provided in federal law and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the form used by a provider to collect information about a pregnant woman pursuant to the Medi-Cal temporary benefits program under Section 14148.7 as that program is implemented on January 1, 2003, shall itself qualify as a simplified application for the Medi-Cal program for pregnant women, or, if necessary to ensure federal financial participation, the form shall be modified to add only those elements required for federal financial participation and be as simple as the department considers practicable.

(b) For purposes of this section, the department shall determine whether to grant eligibility for temporary benefits under Section 14148.7 and the county shall make the final eligibility determination for the Medi-Cal program. The department shall develop and adopt a process for transferring the application to the county and a followup process that is as simple as the department considers practicable to be used by the county if followup is necessary. Based on the department's instructions, the county shall make a determination whether followup is necessary to determine the woman's final eligibility for the Medi-Cal program or to refer the woman to the Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program.

(c) The department shall adopt an electronic enrollment process for pregnant women to use when applying for the Medi-Cal program from a provider's office. The application form for this electronic enrollment shall use the elements of the application form described in subdivision (a) and the procedures specified in subdivision (b). This electronic enrollment process shall be known as the Prenatal Gateway. In developing the Prenatal Gateway required by this subdivision, the department shall consult with consumer, provider, county, and health plan representatives.

(d) The purpose of this section is to begin eligibility and benefits at the time of an eligible pregnant woman's visit to a provider and to continue eligibility and benefits until a final eligibility determination is made without the submission of any other application form to the department, the county, or a single point of entry and to make the followup process as simple as the department considers practicable.

(e) The Prenatal Gateway may not be adopted until both of the following occur:

(1) Sufficient moneys have been deposited in the Special Funds Account of the Gateway Fund to defray the costs of developing the Prenatal Gateway.

(2) Sufficient new staff, not to exceed a total of three personnel years, is available at the department for the purposes of this section and Section 14148.04 and is funded through nonstate General Fund sources. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may hire staff necessary to implement this section.

(f) The department shall implement the Prenatal Gateway within 12 months after the date upon which both of the conditions required under subdivision (e) have occurred.

(g) To implement this section, the department may contract with public or private entities, or utilize existing health care service provider enrollment and payment mechanisms, including the Medi-Cal program's fiscal intermediary, only if services provided under the program are specifically identified and reimbursed in a manner that appropriately claims federal financial reimbursement. Contracts, including the Medi-Cal fiscal intermediary contract for the Child Health and Disability Prevention Program, and including any contract amendment, any system change pursuant to a change order, and any project or systems development notice shall be exempt from Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code, Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 11700) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, Section 19130 of the Government Code, and any policies, procedures, or regulations authorized by these laws.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 148, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)