Posted on | July 3, 2012 | Comments

Newly amended legislation calls on lawmakers to put UC Riversides medical school at the top of the list for any money from the settlement of a federal lawsuit against the Senior Care Action Network health plan.

Until this week, the measure by Assemblyman Jeff Miller, R-Corona, dealt with improving roads needed for fire suppression. It passed the Assembly in May 2011 and was awaiting consideration in the Senate.

Mondays amendments would require the state to give the UCR Medical School $15 million from the impending settlement of what the bill says is the U.S. Department of Justices investigation of the senior health plans payment rates. The states share is expected to exceed $100 million, according to the bill.

Notwithstanding any other law, from any amount paid to the State of California as a result of an investigation into possible overpayments of state funds to the Senior Care Action Network (SCAN) Health Plan and available for expenditure for the purposes of this act, as the highest priority for the use of these funds, fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) shall be transferred to the Regents of the University of California for allocation, without regard to fiscal year, to the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, reads the bill.

Millers district doesnt include UC Riverside. The campus, though, is part of the 31st Senate District, where Miller faces Democrat Richard Roth, a Riverside attorney, in one of the states most competitive races. Roth touted his support for the medical school in campaign mailers leading up to the June 5 primary.

By: Jim Miller

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MEDICAL SCHOOL New bill says school should get $15 million