Brantley et al v. Maxwell-Jolly et al

Filing 415

ORDER by Judge ARMSTRONG granting 412 Motion for Settlement (lrc, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 12/14/2011)

Download PDF
1 2 3 4 5 6 Elissa Gershon, State Bar No. 169741 elissa.gershon@disabilityrightsca.org Elizabeth Zirker, State Bar No. 233487 elizabeth.zirker@disabilityrightsca.org Kim Swain, State Bar No. 100340 kim.swain@disabilityrightsca.org DISABILITY RIGHTS CALIFORNIA 1330 Broadway, Suite 500 Oakland, CA 94612 Telephone: 510.267.1200 Facsimile: 510.267.1201 7 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THENORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 8 9 10 11 12 13 ESTHER DARLING; RONALD BELL by his guardian ad litem Rozene Dilworth; GILDA GARCIA; WENDY HELFRICH by her guardian ad litem Dennis Arnett; JESSIE JONES; RAIF NASYROV by his guardian ad litem Sofiya Nasyrova; ALLIE JO WOODARD, by her guardian ad litem Linda Gaspard-Berry; individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, 14 15 16 17 18 19 Plaintiffs, v. TOBY DOUGLAS, Director of the Department of Health Care Services, State of California, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES, Defendants. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Case No.: C-09-03798 SBA CLASS ACTION [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING Hearing Date: Time: Judge: Hon. Saundra Armstrong Address: 1301 Clay Street Oakland, CA 94102 Courtroom: 1, 4th Floor 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 i DARLING, ET AL. V. DOUGLAS, ET AL., C09-03798 SBA; [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING 1 2 3 4 5 Kenneth A. Kuwayti, State Bar No. 145384 Kkuwayti@mofo.com Benjamin A. Petersen, State Bar No. 267120 Bpetersen@mofo.com Morrison & Foerster LLP 755 Page Mill Road Palo Alto, California 94304-1018 Telephone: 650.813.5600 Facsimile: 650.494.0792 Anna Rich, State Bar No. 230195 arich@nsclc.org Kevin Prindiville, State Bar No. 235835 kprindiville@nsclc.org NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS LAW CENTER 1330 Broadway, Suite 525 Oakland, California 94612 Telephone: 510.663.1055 Facsimile: 510.663.1051 Eric Carlson, State Bar No. 141538 Ecarlson@nsclc.org NATIONAL SENIOR CITIZENS LAW CENTER 3435 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 2860 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Telephone: 213.674.2813 Facsimile: 213.639.0934 Barbara Jones, State Bar No. 88448 bjones@aarp.org AARP FOUNDATION LITIGATION 200 So. Los Robles, Suite 400 Pasadena, California 91101 Telephone: 626.585.2628 Facsimile: 626.583.8538 Kenneth W. Zeller, Pro Hac Vice kzeller@aarp.org Kelly Bagby, Pro Hac Vice kbagby@aarp.org AARP FOUNDATION LITIGATION 601 E Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20049 Telephone: 202.434.2060 Facsimile: 202.434.6424 Sarah Somers, State Bar No. 170118 somers@healthlaw.org Martha Jane Perkins, State Bar No. 104784 perkins@healthlaw.org NATIONAL HEALTH LAW PROGRAM 101 East Weaver Street, Suite G-7 Carrboro, North Carolina 27510 Telephone: 919.968.6308 Facsimile: 919.968.8855 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Attorneys for Defendants KAMALA D. HARRIS Attorney General of California Kamala.Harris@doj.ca.gov SUSAN M. CARSON (CA SBN 135875) Supervising Deputy Attorney General Susan.Carson@doj.ca.gov 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 1100 San Francisco, California 94102-7004 Telephone: 415.703.5615 Facsimile: 415.703.5480 24 25 26 27 28 ii DARLING, ET AL. V. DOUGLAS, ET AL., C09-03798 SBA; [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING 1 Plaintiffs Esther Darling, Ronald Bell by his Guardian ad Litem, Rozene Dilworth, Gilda 2 Garcia,Wendy Helfrich by her Guardian ad Litem, Dennis Arnett, Jessie Jones, Raif Nasyrov by his 3 Guardian ad Litem, Sofiya Nasyrova, and Allie Jo Woodard by her Guardian ad Litem, Linda 4 Gaspard-Berry, (“Plaintiffs”), and Defendants Toby Douglas and the Department of Health Care 5 Services (DHCS), (“Defendants”) have filed a Joint Request for Preliminary Approval of Settlement 6 Agreement, Directing Notice to the Class, Setting a Scheduling Order and Fairness Hearing. 7 8 9 10 The Court, having considered the joint moving papers of the Parties and the Settlement Agreement and proposed notice to the class submitted therewith, for good cause appearing,1 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 1. The parties’ joint motion for preliminary approval (Dkt. 414) is GRANTED. The 11 proposed settlement set forth in the Settlement Agreement attached as Exhibit 1 to the declaration of 12 Elissa Gershon and attached hereto, and the proposed modification of the class definition set forth 13 therein, are preliminarily approved as being within the range of reasonableness such that notice 14 should be given to the Settlement Class. 15 2. For settlement purposes only, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and 16 23(b)(2), the Court conditionally certifies the following Settlement Class: “All Medi-Cal 17 beneficiaries in the State of California for whom Adult Day Health Care benefits will be eliminated 18 under the provisions of AB 97 including those who met or will meet the current eligibility and 19 medical necessity criteria for ADHC at any point prior to the Effective Date of this Settlement; or 20 who will meet the eligibility and medical necessity criteria for CBAS at any point prior to 21 Termination of this Agreement.” 22 3. For settlement purposes only, the Court appoints Wendy Helfrich, Jessie Jones, Raif 23 Nasyrov, Esther Darling, Ronald Bell, Gilda Garcia, and Allie Jo Woodard are Class Representatives 24 for the Settlement Class. 25 1 26 The Court, in its discretion, finds this matter suitable for resolution without a hearing. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 78(b); N.D. Cal. Civ. L.R. 7-1(b). 27 28 1 DARLING, ET AL. V. DOUGLAS, ET AL., C09-03798 SBA; [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING 1 4. For settlement purposes only, the Court appoints Disability Rights California, 2 National Health Law Program, National Senior Citizens Law Center, AARP Foundation Litigation, 3 and Morrison & Foerster LLP as Class Counsel for the Settlement Class. 4 5. The contents of the class notice, attached as Exhibit 2 to the declaration of Elissa 5 Gershon (as subsequently modified) and attached hereto, is adequate under Rule 23 of the Federal 6 Rules of Civil Procedure and approved as to form. The parties shall provide class members with 7 notice in the form and in the manner specified in the Settlement Agreement and Joint Motion. 8 6. 9 The parties shall adhere to the following general time schedule: a. Notice to the class shall be mailed, posted and/or published in the manner 10 specified in the Settlement Agreement and Joint Motion by December 14, 2011 or as soon as 11 reasonably practicable thereafter; 12 b. Each class member shall have until January 10, 2012, in order to file an 13 objection and/or provide notice of intent to appear, as the case may be, under the procedures 14 specified in the Settlement Agreement, Joint Motion, and Notice to Class. Such date shall be 15 determined by the postmark of the document filed; 16 7. The Court finds that the forms of notice to Plaintiff Settlement Class Members 17 regarding the pendency of the litigation and of this settlement, including the methods of 18 dissemination to the proposed Plaintiff Settlement Class Members in accordance with the terms of 19 this order, constitute the best notice practicable under the circumstances. 20 8. Plaintiffs shall file a Notice of Motion and Motion, and Points and Authorities in 21 Support of the Parties' Agreement re Attorneys' Fees and Costs ("Fee Motion") no later than 22 December 14, 2011. Defendants shall file a Notice of Non-Opposition to Plaintiffs' Fee Motion no 23 later than December 28, 2011. 24 9. The Parties shall file a Joint Motion for Final Approval of the Settlement, including 25 Certification of the Settlement Class no later than January 17, 2012. The filing shall include all 26 papers in support of the Joint Motion for Final Approval of the Settlement and/or response(s) to any 27 28 2 DARLING, ET AL. V. DOUGLAS, ET AL., C09-03798 SBA; [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING 1 valid and timely objection with the Court. The Parties shall serve copies of such papers upon any 2 objector who has complied with the provisions of Paragraph 6.b. of this Order. 3 10. The Court shall conduct a Fairness Hearing regarding final approval of the Settlement 4 Agreement and Plaintiffs’ Fee Motion on January 24, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. to hear any objections to the 5 Settlement, and to consider and determine whether the proposed settlement of the litigation on the 6 terms set forth in the Settlement Agreement should be approved as fair, just, reasonable, adequate 7 and in the best interests of the Plaintiff Settlement Class; whether Plaintiffs’ Counsels’ attorneys’ 8 fees and reimbursement of expenses should be approved; and whether the Order approving the 9 settlement should be entered. 10 IT IS SO ORDERED. 11 12 13 Dated: 12-13-11 Honorable Saundra Brown Armstrong United States District Judge 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3 DARLING, ET AL. V. DOUGLAS, ET AL., C09-03798 SBA; [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, DIRECTING NOTICE TO THE CLASS, SETTING A SCHEDULING ORDER AND FAIRNESS HEARING Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page2 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page3 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page4 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page5 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page6 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page7 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page8 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page9 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page10 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page11 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page12 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page13 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page14 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page15 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page16 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page17 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page18 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page19 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page20 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page21 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page22 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page23 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page24 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page25 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page26 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page27 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page28 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page29 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page30 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page31 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page32 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page33 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page34 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page35 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page36 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page37 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page38 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page39 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page40 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page41 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page42 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page43 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page44 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page45 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page46 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page47 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page48 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page49 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page50 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page51 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page52 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page53 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page54 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page55 of 56 Case4:09-cv-03798-SBA Document414-1 Filed12/01/11 Page56 of 56 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA If you are in Medi-Cal and receive (or recently received) Adult Day Health Care (ADHC), this is a Notice of a Class Action Settlement Which May Affect You. A federal court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer. A lawsuit was filed asking the Court to stop California from ending the Medi-Cal ADHC program unless other services were in place for people receiving ADHC services. The parties to the lawsuit have reached a settlement of the lawsuit. If the settlement is approved by the Court, the ADHC program will end on February 29, 2012. Beginning March 1, 2012, you will receive other services depending on your situation. A full description of services which will be available and who will qualify for which services is set forth below. Also listed below is information about the Settlement Agreement that should answer the questions you have about it and a place to contact if you have more questions. This Settlement will not affect your ability to continue to see your primary care provider if you are currently in Medicare. The services that are available under the settlement agreement will be in addition to the services you currently receive through Medicare. This case is not one for money damages. The Court still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement Agreement. This Notice explains your rights and your options – and the deadlines to act on them. READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT If you do nothing, the court will evaluate the Settlement DO NOTHING without your comments. You will give up the right to challenge the end of the ADHC program in another lawsuit. If you receive ADHC services now, you do not have to respond to this Notice to get the services created by this Settlement. Write to the Court about why you don’t like the OBJECT IN WRITING BY Settlement. In addition, you may ask to speak in Court JANUARY 10, 2012 about your objections. Your objection must be sent to the Court by January 10, 2012 to be considered. If you want to speak at the Fairness Hearing, make sure GO TO THE FAIRNESS HEARING ON JANUARY 24, to say that in your letter to the Court. However, you do not have to appear at the Fairness Hearing for your 2012. objection to be considered. NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA 1. Why am I getting this Notice? You are getting this notice because you are now receiving or, at some point since July 1, 2011, have received Medi-Cal Adult Day Health Care (AHDC) services and are considered a Class Member in this lawsuit. You have a right to know about a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit, and about your options, before the Court decides whether to approve the Settlement. This Notice explains the lawsuit, what Class Members will get if the Court approves the Settlement, and your legal rights regarding the Settlement. The Court in charge of the case is the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The case is named Darling et al. v Douglas et al. The Case Number is C:09-03798 SBA. The seven ADHC participants who sued are called named Plaintiffs, and the Defendants are the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and its Director Toby Douglas. All other individuals who receive ADHC services are called Class Members. 2. What is this lawsuit about? In 2009, people receiving Medi-Cal Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) (the Plaintiffs) sued the Defendants. They asked the Court to stop Defendants from reducing ADHC services, which it did. In 2011, the Plaintiffs asked the Court to stop the Defendants from ending the ADHC benefit. They argued that, unless Defendants provided services to replace ADHC, ending the program would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws. The State Defendants deny these arguments. 3. Why is this a class action? In a class action, one or more people, called Class Representatives or named plaintiffs, sue on behalf of people who have similar claims. All of these people are Class Members. One court resolves the issues for all Class Members. In this case, Esther Darling and the other named Plaintiffs sued on behalf of everyone receiving the Medi-Cal ADHC benefit. Any decision by the Court in this case will affect all Class Members. 4. Why is there a settlement? The Plaintiffs and Defendants have agreed to a settlement in which they have worked together to design new programs to replace the ADHC program. The Class Representatives and the Plaintiffs’ attorneys think the Settlement is fair. A Fairness Hearing to approve the final settlement will be held in the U.S. 2 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA District Court in Oakland on January 24, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. See questions 14-17 below for more information about the Court hearing. 5. How do I know if I am part of the settlement? You are a class member and are part of the Settlement if you fit this description: “All Medi-Cal beneficiaries in the State of California for whom Adult Day Health Care benefits will be eliminated under the provisions of AB 97 including those who met or will meet the current eligibility and medical necessity criteria for ADHC at any point prior to the Effective Date of this Settlement; or who will meet the eligibility and medical necessity criteria for CBAS at any point prior to Termination of this Agreement.” This means you are covered by the Settlement if you would have had your MediCal ADHC benefit eliminated by Assembly Bill 97 (AB 97) or you will qualify for ADHC before March 1, 2012. It also means that people who qualify for the new program, Community Based Adult Services (CBAS), will be covered by the Settlement. “AB 97” (Assembly Bill 97) is a new law that eliminated ADHC as a Medi-Cal benefit. 6. What does the Settlement provide? Under the Settlement Agreement, DHCS will set up a new Medi-Cal program called Community Based Adult Services (“CBAS”).  CBAS allows eligible people in Medi-Cal to get skilled nursing care, social services, therapies, personal care, family/caregiver training and support, meals, transportation, and case management in one central location.  CBAS will be available at some former ADHC centers that are approved by DHCS as CBAS providers.  CBAS will start on March 1, 2012. The Settlement will set up “Enhanced Case Management” for those who were in ADHC, but who do not qualify for CBAS.  Enhanced Case Management will help eligible people get the medical and social services they need once ADHC ends. You will have a say in what services they get and how they get them. ADHC services will continue until February 29, 2012 to give people time to change from getting their services from ADHC providers to getting their services 3 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA from CBAS providers or to begin receiving Enhanced Case Management. All class members will receive either CBAS or Enhanced Case Management. This is not a case for money damages, so no Plaintiffs or Class Members will receive payment for being part of the lawsuit. 7. What happens to me under the Settlement?  If you have Medi-Cal and are in ADHC now: o You will be assessed for CBAS sometime between December 2011 and February 2012. Your ADHC provider will give you more information about the assessment process. o If you qualify for CBAS, you will receive these services as soon as ADHC services end, March 1, 2012. o If you do not qualify for CBAS, February 29, 2012 will be your last day of ADHC services. You will get Enhanced Case Management services to help you transition to other services that you need.  If you have Medi-Cal but are not in ADHC now: o You may still apply for ADHC until February 29, 2012. o You may ask to be assessed for CBAS. 8. How do I know if I qualify for CBAS? You can receive CBAS if you are in Medi-Cal AND currently qualify for ADHC, AND:  Need enough nursing to meet “Nursing Facility Level of Care A” (NF-A) or above; OR  Have a moderate to severe cognitive impairment, including moderate to severe Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia; OR  Have a developmental disability; OR  Have a mild to moderate cognitive disability, including Alzheimer’s or dementia AND need assistance or supervision with two of the following: bathing, dressing, self-feeding, toileting, ambulation, transferring, medication management, or hygiene; OR  Have a chronic mental illness or a brain injury AND need assistance or supervision with two of the following: bathing, dressing, self-feeding, 4 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA toileting, ambulation, transferring, medication management, and hygiene; OR one need from the above list and one of the following: money management, accessing resources, meal preparation, and transportation. 9. If I am assessed and I qualify, do I automatically get CBAS? Yes. Once you are found eligible for CBAS, you will get instructions on how to enroll if there is a CBAS center where you live. If there is no CBAS center where you live, you will be able to get the services that are offered at CBAS centers, but from other providers.  Between March 1, 2012 and approximately July 1, 2012, CBAS will be available through regular Medi-Cal. Eventually, CBAS will mostly be available through Medi-Cal managed care.  Once CBAS is mostly available only through Medi-Cal managed care, if you live in a county that offers Medi-Cal managed care, and you qualify to enroll in a managed care plan, you may ONLY get CBAS through managed care. o If you enroll in Medi-Cal managed care any time before July 1, 2012, or if you are already enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care, your managed care plan will pay for CBAS when it becomes a managed care option. You will not need to make any changes to continue to get CBAS. o If you could be enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care but are not now, you will have to enroll to continue to get CBAS when it becomes available through Medi-Cal managed care. o If you get Medicare, enrollment into Medi-Cal managed care WILL NOT affect your ability to choose your Medicare doctors.  If you live in a county that does not have Medi-Cal managed care or you cannot get managed care, you do not need to make any changes to continue to get CBAS. You may continue to receive CBAS as a regular Medi-Cal benefit. 10. Will I Be Able to Go to the Same Center to Get CBAS? It depends. Many ADHC centers will be able to offer CBAS. ADHC centers can apply to the state to become CBAS providers. If you qualify for CBAS and your ADHC center is approved to be a CBAS provider by February 29, 2012, you will be able to keep receiving services at the same center once ADHC ends. If your 5 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA ADHC center does not become a CBAS provider, you will be given information about other CBAS providers. 11. What if I don’t qualify for CBAS? If you are in ADHC, but don’t qualify for CBAS, you will get “Enhanced Case Management” to help you get the medical and social services you need after ADHC ends. Case managers in this program will work with you so that you have a say as to what services you get and how you get them. You will have the choice to receive Enhanced Case Management as a regular Medi-Cal service or through Medi-Cal managed care. 12. Do I have a lawyer in the case? Yes. Disability Rights California, the National Senior Citizens Law Center, the National Health Law Program, AARP Foundation Litigation, and the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP were approved by the Court to represent you and other Class Members. Together, the lawyers are called Class Counsel. You will not be charged for these lawyers. 13. How will the lawyers be paid? If the Settlement is approved, the Defendants will pay attorneys’ fees to plaintiffs’ attorneys for their work on this case. The Court must approve the amount of fees. Plaintiffs and Defendants will ask the court to approve fees of $2.2 million for the work done over the last 2-1/2 years. They will also ask the Court to approve up to $400,000 for Plaintiffs’ lawyers to monitor the settlement over the next 2-1/2 years. You do not need to pay the attorneys. 14. What are my options about the Settlement? You may do nothing, and you will remain a Class Member. You may write a letter to the Court stating the reasons why you do not like the Settlement, and mail it by January 10, 2012. If you want to speak at the Fairness Hearing on January 24, 2012, you MUST say that in your letter. It is up to the Court whether you will be permitted to speak at the hearing. However, you do not have to appear in Court on January 24, 2012 in order for your objection to be considered. 15. If the Settlement is approved, what does that mean? If this Settlement is approved, you will be able to get either CBAS or Enhanced Case Management depending on your situation. You will not be able to be part of another lawsuit about whether California can end the Medi-Cal ADHC benefit. 6 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA 16. How do I tell the court if I don’t like the Settlement? If you’re a Class Member, you can tell the Court that you do not agree with the Settlement or with any part of it by sending a letter with your objections by January 10, 2012. You may write the letter yourself or through an attorney at your own expense. To object, you must send a letter to the Court saying that you object and explain the reasons for your objection. At the top of the letter, be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and write “Darling v. Douglas, C 09-3798 SBA.” Be sure to sign your letter. Mail the original letter to the Clerk of the Court and copies of the letter to the attorneys for the parties. The objection must be mailed to these three different places postmarked no later than January 10, 2012: Clerk of the Court: U.S. District Court 1301 Clay Street Oakland, CA 94612 Reference: Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., Case No. C0907398 SBA 17. Attorneys for Class Members: Elissa Gershon Disability Rights California. 1330 Broadway, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94612 ATTN: Darling v. Douglas Attorneys for DHCS: Susan M. Carson Office of the Attorney General 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 11000 San Francisco, CA 94102-7004 When and where will the Court decide whether to approve the Settlement? The Court will hold a “Fairness Hearing” to decide whether to approve the settlement on January 24, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. The Court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The Judge will listen to Class Members who have asked to speak at the hearing. You may attend even if you do not wish to speak. The hearing will take place at: United States District Court Northern District of California 1301 Clay Street Courtroom 1, 4th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 7 NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT Darling et al. v. Douglas et al., C09-03798 SBA 18. What happens if I do nothing at all? If you do nothing, you will remain a class member. If this Settlement is approved, you will be able to get CBAS or Enhanced Case Management depending on your situation. You will not be able to be part of another lawsuit about whether California can end the Medi-Cal ADHC benefit. GETTING MORE INFORMATION 19. How do I get more details about the Settlement? To get more information, a copy of the Settlement Agreement, or help in making an objection to the Court, you may contact Disability Rights California: darling@disabilityrightsca.org 20. (888) 599-3921 How do I get more information about the case? You can get more information about the case by looking at the case file located in the office of the Clerk of the U.S. District Court located at the address listed in question 17. You can also look at the full settlement and get other information at:  http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/advocacy/Darling-v-Douglas/index.html OR  http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/ADHC/ADHC.aspx 21. How do I get copies of this notice in other languages or in formats that accommodate people with disabilities? If you need a copy of this notice in another language, have a disability and need an accommodation such as an alternate format for notice (for example, Braille, or large print), or an alternate way to ask questions about the notice (for example, a sign language interpreter), you can:  Contact Plaintiffs’ attorney Disability Rights California at (888) 599-3921; OR  Visit the Disability Right California or DHCS websites listed in Question 20. 8

Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.


Why Is My Information Online?