Board of Supervisors Considers Changes to CalOptima Board Composition
By: OC Supervisor Todd Spitzer
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of revisions to the Board of CalOptima. Under the proposed revisions, a second member of the Board of Supervisors will now be a voting member on the Board of CalOptima. The Director of the Orange County Social Services Agency will remain on the CalOptima Board but will now be a non-voting member under the proposal.
“CalOptima has a $1.5 billion budget and delivers health care services to nearly half a million Orange County residents,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “The Board of Supervisors engaged in a vigorous discussion of CalOptima on Tuesday and will continue to do so in evaluating the future of the agency.”
If the Board of Supervisors approves the second reading of the revisions next week, then the changes will take effect 30 days later.
With the addition of one more Supervisor as a voting member and the SSA Director being switched to non-voting status, the CalOptima Board will remain at 11 voting members if the revisions are adopted.
Under the proposal, the Board of CalOptima will consist of 11 voting members:
- Two County Supervisors (with another Supervisor as an alternate)
- OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Director
- Current hospital administrator or representative of a hospital trade association
- Physician in current practice
- Representative of a contracted independent physician’s group or a health network
- Representative of a for-profit business
- Public member
- Current CalOptima consumer
- Current CalOptima consumer or representative from a 501(c)(3) that serves CalOptima consumers
- Current CalOptima consumer or representative from a community clinic that serves CalOptima consumers
CalOptima Board to be Restructured
By: OC Supervisor Shawn Nelson
Responding to a Board of Supervisors directive from February 4th, County staff presented options for consideration on how to structure the CalOptima Board of Directors. Following a lengthy discussion, the board eventually voted for a modified version of the third option. In short, the board modified the ordinance to include an additional member of the Board of Supervisors as a voting member with a third Supervisor serving as an alternate to allow for more oversight and involvement from the County. To maintain an eleven member board, the Social Services Agency director will transition to a non-voting, ex-officio member. The new ordinance reflecting those changes was formally drafted by county staff and will be considered at a second reading next Tuesday. The ordinance will take effect 30 days from approval. To read the finalized ordinance on the agenda, see item 23 on next week’s agenda here: here.
By: OC Supervisor Pat Bates
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors began discussing the CalOptima governance structure in light of the recent federal and state audits. The federal audit found numerous deficiencies in long-standing processes, particularly payment procedures and timeliness. Many of these were directly attributed to the health networks and pharmacy management company that CalOptima contracts with.
Currently, there are eleven voting members on the CalOptima board, including one member from the Board of Supervisors, the Health Care Agency and Social Services Directors, representatives from healthcare providers, patients, the business sector and the general public.
At the direction of the Chair of the Board the County Executive Office worked to develop alternatives to the membership of County members (Supervisors and/or staff). The Board decided to include an additional Supervisor to sit as a regular voting member of the CalOptima Board and will decide as to who that member will be at our meeting on March 4, 2014.
While I do not serve on the CalOptima Board of Directors, I have oversight authority in that the Board of Supervisors appoints the members of the CalOptima Board of Directors. It is critical that the CalOptima governance structure ensures that its Board of Directors represents the diverse backgrounds, interests and demographics of Orange County residents and helps ensure CalOptima, as a public agency, remains highly accountable and responsive to the health care needs of our residents. There is no higher priority for the Board of Supervisors and the CalOptima Board of Directors than ensuring quality care.
The Board of Supervisors will continue this discussion at the next regular meeting. To view the reports on CalOptima, please click here and here.