(a) Any county may petition the department for an augmentation of its County Administrative Cost Control Plan in order to implement a plan, as provided for in Section 1105 of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1305), for the outstationing of one or more eligibility workers at all types of outstation locations, as defined in Section 435.904(c)(3) of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations in order to facilitate receipt and processing of applications for Medi-Cal eligibility for pregnant women, infants and children as specified by Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 1396 and following). In order to participate pursuant to this section, a county welfare department shall petition under this section in accordance with guidelines established by the department. The petition shall include, but not be limited to, information about the need for outstation workers at alternative sites and the language skills needed by the outstation workers.

(b) In reviewing a petition from a county for an augmentation of its County Administrative Cost Control Plan for outstationing purposes, the department shall take into account the likely success rate of applications processed by the proposed outstationed eligibility workers, the amount of travel and training time required to implement and continue the outstationing plan, and other productivity factors associated with the outstationing plan.

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(c) The department may approve those proposed augmentations which, based on its review of the outstationing plan, offer potential to increase eligibility determinations and access to Medi-Cal perinatal services by pregnant women and Medi-Cal services by infants and children specified by Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C., Sec. 1396 and following). The department shall review the approved plan annually to determine if the plan shall be renewed, altered, discontinued, or incorporated into the county administrative funding base.

(d) In addition to any augmentations authorized by this section, the department may, at its discretion, advance administrative funding to a county welfare department for which it approves an augmentation of its County Administrative Cost Control Plan, to cover the initial incremental costs of outstationed eligibility workers under this section.

(e) The department shall conduct a one-time outreach plan to educate county welfare directors, county health officers, and county elected officials on the opportunities and advantages of outstationing Medi-Cal eligibility workers to facilitate access by pregnant women to Medi-Cal perinatal services and Medi-Cal eligibility for infants and children.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 294, Sec. 75. Effective August 18, 1997.)