Democrats in Sacramento are pushing to regulate and unionize the new batch of state Medi-Cal interpreters who will be hired as California rushes to implement ObamaCare and launch its massive expansion of the state’s Medi-Cal rolls.
Democratic Assembly Speaker John Perez (AD53-Los Angeles), backed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is leading the push for AB1263, which would set up a system that gives Medi-Cal interpreters the right to vote for union affiliation, though they would be ineligible for state pension or other benefits. The legislation would also guarantee interpreters a minimum wage of $60 an hour, which is less than typical rates offered today, and set up new testing and training requirements.
While some are applauding the effort to standardize and improve the state’s Medi-Cal interpreter system, which can lead to miscommunication between patients and their doctors if interpreters are not appropriately qualified, critics argue there is no need to create yet another class of unionized workers.
“It sounds like another typical union power grab,” Jon Coupal, the head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. said. “It becomes far more costly to taxpayers than it needs to be when you create these kinds of classes of contractors who are subject to unionization. It just becomes unwieldy.”
Perez office estimates that the bill would cost the state more than $35 million annually after implementation.
Further, while union interest groups and Democrats in the Assembly are pushing for legislation, the state’s Department of Health Services is denying that there is much of a problem to begin with.
From the Sacramento Bee:
Deputy Director Jane Ogle, of the Department of Health Care Services, said there may be some anecdotal complaints but that she is not aware of major systemic flaws in interpreting.
“We have not seen any gaps in service that we have become concerned about,” she said.
Of 4.5 million Californians enrolled in a Medi-Cal managed care plan, only two problems reported to the Department of Managed Health Care appeared to be tied to medical interpreting over the past year, records show. Other complaints may have been resolved by providers without state involvement.
To meet the shortage of qualified doctors such a move creates, Democrats are also proposing expanding patient care into the hands of lesser-trained professionals.
Now, state Democrats are preparing to deal with yet another result from the implementation of the health law – new
