​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​CalAIM News & Updates

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CalAIM Initiatives
CalAIM News
Webinars
Stakeholder Meetings

Learn about and Apply for PATH and CITED Funds​

Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) provides funding to community-based organizations, public hospitals, county agencies, tribes, and others, to build their capacity and infrastructure to participate in the Medi-Cal delivery system and deliver Enhanced Care Management, Community Supports, and Justice Involved services. Applications for funding are now open.​

​​CalAIM Corner

CalAIM Corner interviews with DHCS leaders spotlight key CalAIM initiatives.

​​DHCS is Offering Integrated Care for People Eligible for Both Medicare and Medi-Cal

Starting in January 2023, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), along with our federal Medicare partners, is establishing Medicare Medi-Cal Plans (Medi-Medi Plans). Medi-Medi Plans will continue to provide integrated care for current Cal MediConnect (CMC) members and are available for new enrollment in 2023.  These plans are available in seven counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) and will be available in additional counties in future years. Read More​

Transforming Behavioral Health

(June 28, 2022) CalAIM is strengthening the state's behavioral health continuum of care for all Californians, including Medi-Cal beneficiaries living with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or substance use disorder. To learn more, we spoke with Tyler Sadwith, Deputy Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services at DHCS. Read More​

What is Providing​ Access and Transforming Health​ (PATH)?​

(April 27, 2022) PATH is a five-year, $1.85B initiative to build, maintain, and scale the capacity necessary to implement CalAIM. To learn more, we spoke with Susan Philip, ​DHCS Deputy Director of Health Care Delivery Systems.​​ Read more

What is Population Health Management?

​(February 28, 2022) CalAIM’s Population Health Management program is about proactively helping people stay well by identifying illnesses before they worsen and anticipating member needs before they increase. To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Palav Babaria, Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management at DHCS. Read More

​CalAIM Upcoming Technical Assistance Webinars

DHCS provides comprehensive Technical Assistance Webinars to help strengthen and align CalAIM implementation efforts across the state. See the upcoming DHCS Technical Assistance events across all CalAIM Initiatives:

CalAIM News​​​

DHCS Releases the California Behavioral Health Community-Based Continuum (CalBH-CBC) Demonstration Concept Paper

On November 15, 2022, DHCS released the CalBH-CBC Demonstration concept paper​, describing its proposed approach to the CalBH-CBC Demonstration. DHCS will share information on the CalBH-CBC Demonstration with stakeholders at the upcoming Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting and the CalAIM Behavioral Health Workgroup meeting. 

DHCS is pleased to share this concept paper and in the months ahead will work with stakeholders to refine and revise the approach to the CalBH-CBC Demonstration with the intent of submitting a formal demonstration application to the federal government in 2023. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback on the concept paper through written comments and/or by participating in forthcoming public forums and advisory groups. Stakeholders also will have the opportunity to respond to and comment on a complete draft of the demonstration application before it is submitted to CMS. Learn more at the CalBH-CBC Demonstration web page.

DHCS will accept public comment on the concept paper through January 13, 2023. Please submit feedback to CalBHCBC@dhcs.ca.gov​ and include “CalBH-CBC Demonstration” in the subject line.​

CalAIM EPSDT Enrollee Facing Materials All Comer Webinar

On Friday, November 18th from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT, DHCS will host a webinar focused on the EPSDT Outreach & Education Toolkit’s enrollee-facing materials. The federal and state requirement, known as Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT), gives children and youth under 21 access to preventive and medically necessary treatment services. DHCS is developing materials through an EPSDT Outreach & Education Toolkit to promote understanding of and access to EPSDT-covered services, the comprehensive healthcare services available to the 5.6 million children and youth enrolled in Medi-Cal. Included in the EPSDT Outreach & Education Toolkit are two enrollee-facing brochures (a child version and a teen/young adult version), a “Know Your Medi-Cal Rights” letter, and a rebranding of the “EPSDT” name. The brochures provide an overview of EPSDT, including covered services, how to access those services, and the importance of preventive care. The “Know Your Medi-Cal Rights” letter provides information on what to do if Medi-Cal care is denied, reduced, or stopped, including who to contact and how to file grievances and appeals. The All Comer webinar will provide interested stakeholders the opportunity to share public feedback and comment on the enrollee-facing materials. The draft materials are posted here in order for participants to review them before the webinar. All interested members, providers, plans, counties, health systems, advocates, and other stakeholders are invited to attend. Advanced registration is required​.

​Managed Care Plans Selected to Support Ongoing Medi-Cal Transformation

On August 25, 2022, DHCS announced its intent to award contracts to commercial managed care plans (MCPs) to deliver Medi-Cal services to Californians across the state, beginning in 2024. This first-ever statewide competitive procurement for commercial MCPs will transform and redefine how care is delivered to millions of Californians. ​

Implement County-Based Model Changes in the Medi-Cal Managed Care Program​

The 30 day public comment and Tribal public comment periods to solicit feedback on proposed amendments to CalAIM Section 1115 demonstration and the Section 1915(b) waiver concluded on Monday, September 12. DHCS is seeking the CalAIM Section 1115 and 1915(b) amendment approvals from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement county-based model changes in the Medi-Cal Managed Care (MCMC) program. Through the Section 1915(b) waiver amendment, DHCS also plans to add or update language on policies or programs in the approved CalAIM 1915(b) waiver, including to reflect the MCMC model changes in select counties and direct contracts with the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan available for enrollment of certain Medi-Cal beneficiary populations in select counties. The following materials were shared for public comment:
More information can be found on the CalAIM 1115 Demonstration & 1915(b) Waiver webpage​.

CalAIM Section 1115 Demonstration Amendment Approval

On June 29, 2022, DHCS received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to amend the CalAIM Section 1115 demonstration to increase the asset limit and subsequently eliminate the asset test for certain populations. Along with amending the demonstration, CMS also issued technical corrections to the CalAIM demonstration Special Terms and Conditions (STCs). For more information, visit the CalAIM 1115 Demonstration & 1915(b) Waiver webpage.​

​Final Population Health Management Strategy and Roadmap

On July 5, 2022, DHCS released the Final Population Health Management Strategy and Roadmap, which incorporates stakeholder feedback on all components of the PHM Framework. DHCS appreciates thoughtful comments from stakeholders that have helped to improve the Department's vision for PHM. For any questions, please email CalAIM@dhcs.ca.gov ​

Recent CalAIM Webinars 

Webinar: Authorization to Share Confidential Medi-Cal Information (ASCMI) Form 

On Wednesday, November 2, DHCS hosted a webinar on a pilot program to assess the ASCMI Form and its use in a consent management service. The ASCMI Form is designed to facilitate the sharing of members’ physical, mental, substance use, and social health information through a standardized consent process. The webinar provided interested stakeholders with a detailed overview of the pilot and an upcoming Request for Information from DHCS. 

CalAIM Office Hours: Housing Supports via ECM and Community Supports

On Thursday, October 27, DHCS hosted a virtual Office Hours on Housing Supports via Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports. This event is part of a series of Office Hours to address implementation questions from the on-the-ground providers of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM ECM and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Webinar: Housing Supports via ECM and Community Supports 

On Thursday, October 13, DHCS hosted an all-comer webinar on Housing Supports via CalAIM ECM and Community Supports. This event was part of a series of technical assistance and informational sessions to support implementation of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM ECM and Community Supports Initiative webpage​.

CalAIM Office Hours: Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports Implementation in Rural Counties 
On Thursday, September 29, DHCS hosted a virtual Office Hours ECM and Community Supports implementation in rural counties. This event is part of a series of Office Hours to address implementation questions from the on-the-ground providers of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage​.

CalAIM Office Hours: ECM Long-Term Care Populations of Focus

On Thursday, September 22, DHCS hosted a virtual Office Hours on ECM and Community Supports. This event provided an overview on Community Supports for Members in Long-Term Care Populations of Focus. This event is part of a series of Office Hours to address implementation questions from the on-the-ground providers of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Webinar: ECM Long-Term Care Populations of Focus

On Thursday, September 8, DHCS hosted an all-comer webinar on CalAIM ECM Long-Term Care Populations of Focus. This webinar presented Community Supports for Members in Long-Term Care Populations of Focus. This event was part of a series of technical assistance and informational sessions to support implementation of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Office Hours: ECM and Community Supports Member Engagement

On Thursday, September 1, DHCS hosted a virtual Office Hours on provider and member communications, referrals, outreach, and enrollment. This event is part of a series of Office Hours to address implementation questions from on-the-ground providers of ECM and Community Supports. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Webinar: ECM and Community Supports Member Engagement

On Thursday, August 25, DHCS hosted an all-comer webinar on provider and member communications, referrals, outreach, and enrollment. This event was part of a series of technical assistance and informational sessions to support the implementation of ECM and Community Supports. You can find materials from the ECM webinar on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Office Hours: ECM and Community Supports Program Data Exchange Overview

On Thursday, August 11, DHCS hosted a virtual “Office Hours” on data exchange necessary for ECM and Community Supports. DHCS provided an overview of the guidance documents that were released in 2021 and corresponding data flows, with a focus on the exchange of information that occurs between MCPs and ECM and Community Supports providers. Materials from the DHCS Office Hours can be found on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.

CalAIM Webinar: ECM and Community Supports Program Data Exchange Overview

On Thursday, August 4, DHCS hosted an all-comer webinar on the data exchange necessary for ECM and Community Supports, intended especially for MCPs and providers in counties where ECM launched in July 2022, but open to all as a refresher. DHCS provided an overview of the guidance documents that were released in 2021 and corresponding data flows, with a focus on the exchange of information between MCPs and ECM and Community Supports providers. This event was part of a series of technical assistance and informational sessions to support the implementation of ECM and Community Supports. You can find materials from the ECM webinar on the CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports Initiative webpage.​

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Last modified date: 11/22/2022 5:16 PM