Doctors, lawmakers renew push to increase Medi-Cal payments

California lawmakers say they don't just want to reverse the 10 percent reimbursement cuts to doctors under Medi-Cal. Two identical bills, SB243 and AB366, would make some Medi-Cal payments equal to compensation under the federal Medicare program. In some cases, that would increase payments to as much as three times the current Medi-Cal rate for a typical doctor visit. "It's not just because we want to drive a Mercedes. I drive a Kia, a second-hand one," says Dr. Luther Cobb, President of the California Medical Association, with a laugh. Cobb says California's Medicaid rates are among the lowest in the nation.