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Governor drops mandatory managed care proposal

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has abandoned his idea of forcing half a million elderly and disabled Medi-Cal recipients into managed care plans. The proposal was unpopular from the start.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has abandoned his idea of forcing half a million elderly and disabled Medi-Cal recipients into managed care plans. The proposal was unpopular from the start. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.

The governor argued managed care plans could do a better job of coordinating treatment for the elderly and disabled. And he said it would save the state money.

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But advocates for the disabled said most HMOs just aren't prepared to handle people with complicated medical needs.

Teresa Favuzzi directs the California Federation for Independent Living Centers.

Favuzzi: "Until we can see that health maintenance organizations are really ready to examine their own readiness and their own accessibility, we're going to question whether or not it's good to move the entire population of people with disabilities into managed care."

So for now, most Medi-Cal recipients who are disabled can continue to choose their own doctors.

Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.