LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved advisory board appointments, supported increasing rates for some services in Behavioral Health Services and held a closed session to discuss the Public Health officer job.
During the brief portion of the meeting’s open session, which ran just over 40 minutes, the board unanimously approved appointing Soledad Agiayo and Carrie Manning to the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board. There are another three vacancies yet to be filled on that board.
The supervisors also voted unanimously to appoint John Carlisi to the Redevelopment Agency Oversight Board. He fills a seat that became vacant last year after the resignation of Kelly Cox, the retired county administrative officer.
Supervisor Moke Simon, who chairs the oversight board, explained, “We’re really just winding down the program, which was a state mandate.”
In other business, the board approved a resolution for Lake County Behavioral Health Services to increase the rates for Substance Use Disorder Drug Medi-Cal services.
Director Todd Metcalf’s written report to the board explained that Behavioral Health Services is contracted with the California Department of Health Care Services to receive reimbursement funds for all eligible Substance Use Disorder Drug Medi-Cal services.
He said the Department of Health Care Services has authorized an increase in rates for Substance Use Disorder Drug Medi-Cal services, and so Behavioral Health Services must increase the rates for those services in its electronic health record application in order to facilitate correct billing and reimbursement.
His report said approval of the rate increase “will mean significantly more revenue coming in for services provided.”
During the Tuesday board meeting, Metcalf told the supervisors that the increase is a big deal for his department.
Board Chair Bruno Sabatier agreed. “This is very important.”
Metcalf also reported that there are significant changes coming to mental health and substance abuse services around an organized delivery system.
He and his staff are working on a presentation to give to the board in January that will discuss those changes, which will impact billable services and expand service delivery to the community.
After the board members gave reports on their weekly calendars, they went into a closed session to discuss the Public Health officer appointment.
The effort to replace Dr. Gary Pace on a permanent basis has been underway since the spring.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein said the board took no action out of closed session.
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