Belshe

Petitioners and appellants Coastal Community Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital of Orange appeal the trial court’s denial of their petitions for writs of mandate by which petitioners sought to reverse the administrative decisions of the Department of Health Services (the Department) to accept petitioners’ Medi-Cal cost reports “as filed,” and to order the Department to accept petitioners’ appeals of those costs reports. Petitioners find authority for these administrative appeal rights in Welfare and Institutions Code section 14171, subdivision (a). We do not, and affirm the trial court.

Facts

Petitioners are hospitals participating in California’s Medi-Cal program, Welfare and Institutions Code section 14000 et seq. As such, they are required to submit cost reports to the Department at the end of each fiscal year, detailing the cost of Medi-Cal services provided, the number of Medi-Cal beneficiaries served, and the amount owed, to the health care provider or to the Department, under the program.

On June 27, 1988, petitioner Coastal Community Hospital submitted a cost report for its fiscal year ended March 31, 1988. The Department accepted the cost report as filed on…