Countywide
The California Medical Assistance Commission said Wednesday that a 16th health plan has applied to participate in the “Expanded Choice” Medi-Cal pilot program in San Diego County.
AmeriMed of Burbank will compete with 15 previously announced applicants for contracts to provide health care to Medi-Cal recipients through health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
The experiment, scheduled to begin April 1, is designed to cut the cost of Medi-Cal care by 5% in San Diego County. The state hopes HMOs will eliminate excessive health services without diluting the quality of care for the poor. Critics have warned that quality is bound to be reduced.
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