Supes discuss Medicaid

Special meeting scheduled Friday to discuss county counsel appointment

This week the Lake County Board of Supervisors held their weekly meeting at 9 a.m. in the Lake County Chambers and online via zoom where they considered a letter requesting changes to federal law regarding the Medicaid inmate exclusion policy as well as a review of the Lake County Continuum of Care coordinated entry system policy.

District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier presented a letter for consideration requesting that all inmates, including pre-trial inmates, be eligible for Medicaid. Current policy bars inmates from obtaining Medicaid, not just in California but the entire country. Sabatier shared: “I feel this is an ancient law that doesn’t follow what it is that we’re attempting to get accomplished here, not just in Lake County not just in the state of California but in the United States which is to ensure that everyone has health insurance.”

Sabatier explains how this system has created “the deserving poor and the undeserving poor” leading to “A strange situation to still have in the 21st century.” Changes to the federal policy will not alter any current contracts, but allow the county to be reimbursed by the government for health related expenses for inmates. Interim Sheriff Rob Howe expressed his approval of this letter as it would greatly benefit the department stating, “Today we have 199 inmates and 147 of them are un-sentenced pre-trial people so this would be significant.” The letter was approved unanimously.

Todd Metcalf, director of Behavioral Health Services, presented a review of the Lake County Continuum of Care coordinated entry system policy alongside Program Manager Scott Abbott

and Homeless Management Information System Manager Melissa Kopf. Abbott explained the process of helping the homeless obtain access to services through multiple referrals and / or programs which is all tracked in their homeless management information system. Kopf highlighted the policy.

“Within this policy it dives into the responsibilities of the coordinated entry operator which is Adventist Health for the pathways hub and the responsibilities revolving around the continuum of care and the coordination that we all have around the county to meet the needs of our homeless population,” she said. Abbott elaborated, “We have a rather large but also very inclusive policy.” The board approved the policy and it will be adopted this month.

Several emergency declarations were continued including the continuation a local emergency by the Lake County Sheriff/ OES Director for the January 2023 atmospheric river event and also the resolution re-affirming the existence of a local emergency due to low elevation snow and extreme cold weather.

District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon warned the county “Be prepared for what’s coming up next, we’ve had a lot of cold weather, now we have some pretty strong storms potentially coming through the area. If you have to run a generator, be prepared for that and please be as safe as possible.” District 5 Supervisor and Board Chair Jessica Pyska expressed her concern for the county during this next storm as well as gratitude for those who have been working to help those most effected by the storms. Pyska also shared that during a conversation with PG&E they did explore “Under grounding strategies, vegetation work, trees, all of it. We’ve come a long way in our relationship with PG&E,” said Pyska.

The board also scheduled a special meeting on March 10 to conduct interviews for the position of County Counsel.