Facing funding cuts, Santa Clara County moves to take over Family Health Plan

FACING DRAMATIC FEDERAL funding cuts, Santa Clara County leaders want to lessen the taxpayer dollars needed to support its massive public hospital system. That means reining in an institution the county created decades ago — which officials warn risks putting its own survival over health services.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously May 20 to remove a majority of the governing board of Santa Clara Family Health Plan in favor of filling the seats with county employees. It’s one of several steps county leaders are taking to maximize their public hospital reimbursements from the state’s Medi-Cal program for low-income families, foster youth, disabled people and older adults. The plan is to streamline Medi-Cal reimbursements, known federally as Medicaid, under a single-plan model to improve reimbursement rates, remove inefficiencies and axe duplicative costs.