February 10, 2025
Top News
California Takes Action to Improve Maternal Health
On February 4, DHCS released a comprehensive policy and care model roadmap called the
Birthing Care Pathway that covers the journey of all pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members from conception through 12 months postpartum. The Birthing Care Pathway is a strategic roadmap for state entities, Medi-Cal managed care plans, counties, providers, community-based organizations, social services entities, philanthropists, and other key partners serving pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members throughout the state. By centering member experiences and aligning policies with actionable recommendations and strengthening partnerships across sectors, DHCS aims to ensure every Medi-Cal member has access to safe, equitable, and comprehensive maternity care. Please visit the
Birthing Care Pathway webpage for more information and to access
materials, including fact sheets and presentations.
Program Updates
Family PACT MCWEB Decommissioned
Effective February 3, the Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment) MCWEB link was decommissioned. All Family PACT client enrollment and transaction services transitioned to the new
Family PACT Portal housed within the California Healthcare, Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS). Providers can access the Family PACT Portal, as well as account creation directions and all other information and resources related to the portal, on the
Family PACT website. For all Family PACT Portal-related inquiries, please contact the Office of Family Planning at (916) 650-0414 or
providerservices@dhcs.ca.gov.
Smile Alert: National Children's Dental Health Month
On February 18, a Smile Alert will encourage partners to participate in the Healthy Smile Land promotion for National Children's Dental Health Month. This alert will introduce new resources, such as social media images, website banners, and virtual meeting backgrounds, designed to engage families and highlight Medi-Cal dental benefits. Medi-Cal partners can also request print materials or explore co-branding options for personalized outreach. Additionally, the alert provides access to last month's
webinar recording (Discover Healthy Smile Land) and reminds partners that Smile, California representatives are available to support their events and presentations. For more information, visit
SmileCalifornia.org and follow Smile, California on
Facebook.
Join Our Team
DHCS is seeking talented and motivated individuals to serve as:
- Chief, Health Information Management Division (HIMD). The Chief of HIMD is responsible for the collection and exchange of data between DHCS and external stakeholders and for ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state standards and regulations. The Chief of HIMD also leads the development of policy and data presentation processes using business intelligence tools that support key policy initiatives, such as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal and the Home and Community-Based Services initiatives. Applications must be submitted by February 27.
- Chief, Procurement and Contracting Division (PCD). The Chief of PCD leads all aspects of procurement and contracting activities for DHCS and provides strategic support, expert guidance, and solutions for DHCS' procurement and contracting needs. The Chief of PCD is also designated as DHCS' Procurement and Contracting Officer (PCO). As the PCO, the Chief of PCD is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, including applicable appropriations and executive orders. Applications must be submitted by February 28.
DHCS is also hiring for its accounting, financial, behavioral health, contracting, disaster response, managed care, quality and population health management, and other teams. For more information, please visit the
CalCareers website.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars
DHCS posts upcoming public meetings on the
Calendar of Events.
Flexible Housing Subsidy Pools (“Flex Pools") Webinar: Introduction and Technical Assistance Resources
On February 11, from 1 to 2 p.m. PST, DHCS will host an
all-comer webinar on Flex Pools. A Flex Pool is a locally designed model for centrally administering rental assistance, coordinating, and effectively using available housing supports resources to help people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness enter and maintain stable long-term housing. This webinar will be of special interest to managed care plans, county behavioral health providers, county government agencies, Community Supports providers, housing support providers, housing authorities, continuum of cares, and other entities engaged in supporting Medi-Cal members who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The webinar will:
- Highlight the release of the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pools: Technical Assistance Resource, which defines Flex Pools; describes their key functions, benefits, and components; and provides information about roles and responsibilities for different partner organizations, including county government agencies and managed care plans.
- Introduce upcoming technical assistance to support entities in regions that have expressed interest in Flex Pools, but have not yet operationalized them, or regions that have begun developing Flex Pools.
CalHHS CARE Act Working Group
On February 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST, the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will convene the
Community Assistance, Recovery & Empowerment (CARE) Act Working Group (advance registration required). The meeting will feature a presentation about psychiatric advance directives, a panel discussion about implementation from system partners, an overview of CARE within the context of the specialty behavioral health system, a review of changes to the CARE Act Data Dictionary, and an update on CARE Act communication strategies. Please see the
CARE Act Working Group webpage for additional information. For questions or to join the CARE Act listserv, please email
CAREAct@chhs.ca.gov.
Closed-Loop Referral Implementation Guidance and All-Comer Webinar for Managed Care Plans
On February 13, from 10 to 11 a.m. PST, DHCS will hold an all-comer webinar (
advance registration required) to provide an overview of the
Closed-Loop Referral (CLR) Implementation Guidance for managed care plans. The webinar is open to the public and will be of special interest to managed care plans,
Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports providers, and entities making referrals to the benefit/services. The CLR Implementation Guidance outlines requirements for managed care plans in implementing CLRs, including tracking, supporting, and monitoring CLRs. The member's initial referral loop is completed with a known closure reason, such as the member receiving services. These new requirements will ensure more Medi-Cal members are connected to the care they need by identifying and addressing gaps in referral paths. Managed care plans must implement CLR requirements by July 1, 2025. Requirements will first apply to referrals made to priority Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports services. Please send any questions about the new guidance to
PHMSection@dhcs.ca.gov.
DHCS Training on Title XIX Claiming
On February 14, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. PST, DHCS will host a
training for local and county partners regarding reimbursement for Title XIX matching funds through interagency agreements maintained between DHCS and the California Department of Public Health. Topics will include requirements for claiming federal financial participation (FFP), including guidance for claiming enhanced FFP for skilled professional medical personnel, Title XIX time studies, billing with function codes, and more. The training will be recorded and posted on the
Title XIX Claiming Toolkit webpage for people unable to attend. For questions about the training, please email
Title19ClaimingBD@dhcs.ca.gov.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC)/Behavioral Health (BH)-SAC Meeting
On February 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST, DHCS will host the hybrid
SAC/BH-SAC meeting (advance registration required for online and in-person participation) at 1700 K Street (first-floor conference room 17.1014), Sacramento. SAC provides DHCS with valuable input on ongoing California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) implementation efforts and helps DHCS further its efforts to provide equitable access to quality care. BH-SAC provides DHCS with input regarding behavioral health activities and was created as part of the ongoing effort to integrate behavioral health with the greater health care system. For more information, please email
SACinquiries@dhcs.ca.gov or
BehavioralHealthSAC@dhcs.ca.gov.
In Case You Missed It
Request for Applications (RFA): Improving Behavioral Health Services Delivery
DHCS released a
RFA to solicit applications from consultants to assist counties in improving their performance in the delivery of behavioral health services and contracting for these services, with outcomes, transparency, and accountability to residents. Interested participants must apply by February 24 at 4 p.m. PST.
Now Open: Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Capacity and Infrastructure Transition, Expansion, and Development (CITED) Round 4 Application
On January 6, DHCS opened the
PATH CITED Round 4 application window, including the Transitional Rent Community Support. The PATH CITED initiative provides funding to build the capacity and infrastructure of on-the-ground partners, including community-based organizations, hospitals, county agencies, Tribes, and others, to successfully participate in Medi-Cal. Nearly $158 million is available for Round 4. All organizations providing the Transitional Rent Community Support must do so in partnership with their county behavioral health department. To demonstrate this partnership, all CITED applicants planning to request funding to support the Transitional Rent Community Support must also submit a
Letter of Support in collaboration with the county behavioral health department.
The deadline to apply for PATH CITED Round 4 funding is 11:59 p.m. PDT on May 2, 2025. The guidance document and application are available on the PATH CITED webpage. Please send any questions to cited@ca-path.com.
