June 9, 2025

Top News

Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council

DHCS is now accepting applications to join the Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council. This new stakeholder group offers a dedicated space for Medi-Cal members and stakeholders to discuss Medi-Cal matters and provide direct, informed, and meaningful feedback about the Medi-Cal program to DHCS leadership. The council strengthens member representation in DHCS' stakeholder engagement efforts and helps ensure Medi-Cal programs are responsive, fair, and inclusive. Hearing directly from Medi-Cal members and stakeholders who serve Medi-Cal members is an important part of Medi-Cal Transformation. Member and stakeholder engagement also supports the goals outlined in DHCS' Comprehensive Quality Strategy, which focuses on improving the health of all Californians. For more information, please visit the Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council webpage.

Behavioral Health Care Facility Opens in Oakland

As California continues to strengthen its behavioral health care system, on June 6, DHCS and Safe Passages celebrated the ribbon cutting of a new Community Wellness and Youth Prevention Wellness Center in Oakland. Funded by almost $9 million through the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP) Round 4: Children and Youth, the center will offer community-derived models of mental health services to a projected 7,600 individuals annually in an outpatient setting. BHCIP is part of California's ongoing commitment to expand behavioral health services for all Californians. DHCS has awarded $1.7 billion in BHCIP competitive grants. In addition, DHCS is distributing up to $4.4 billion in competitive Bond BHCIP funding, including $3.3 billion for Round 1: Launch Ready grants as part of Behavioral Health Transformation, DHCS' work to implement Proposition 1.

Program Updates

PATH Collaborative Planning and Implementation (CPI) Best Practices Webinar Recording and Materials Now Available

On May 16, DHCS hosted a public webinar, “Connecting Services for the Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Justice-Involved Population of Focus throughout the Reentry and Post-Release Process." The webinar discussed the benefits of using referral and billing toolkits to support justice-involved individuals, shared ways to increase referrals for Medi-Cal members to access ECM and Community Supports, and explained how a justice-involved reentry care plan can connect people leaving jail or prison with community-based organizations, justice programs, and managed care plans. The webinar recording and supporting materials are available under the "Best Practices and Resources" section on the Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) CPI webpage. Please submit questions to collaborative@ca-path.com.

Join Our Team

DHCS is hiring for its Medi-Cal managed care, behavioral health, accounting, fiscal, 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. DHCS provides free assistive services, including language interpretation, real-time captioning, and alternate formatting of meeting materials. To request services, please email DHCS at the appropriate contact email address at least ten working days before the meeting.

Medi-Cal Enrollment Requirements and Procedures for Pharmacy Providers

On June 10, from 10 to 11 a.m. PDT, DHCS will hold a public hearing via webinar (advance registration required) to discuss the draft regulatory provider bulletin, “Medi-Cal Enrollment Requirements and Procedures for Pharmacy Providers that Hold a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Certificate of Waiver." Effective August 1, 2025, pharmacy providers who hold a valid CLIA Certificate of Waiver and current Certificate of California Clinical Laboratory Registration may bill for CLIA-waived tests provided within the pharmacist's scope of practice as defined by the California State Board of Pharmacy and authorized in Business and Professions Code Section 4052.4. Pharmacy providers must apply to enroll in the Medi-Cal program by submitting a Medi-Cal provider enrollment online application, along with all supporting documentation.

Written comments, questions, or suggestions may be submitted during the hearing in the webinar chat. For those unable to attend, written comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. PDT on June 10 to be considered for publication. When submitting written comments, please ensure that the commenter and organization/association being represented are both identified in the comments. Please submit written comments to DHCSPEDStakeholder@dhcs.ca.gov. Based on the public comments received, DHCS will publish the final bulletin on the Medi-Cal providers and DHCS Provider Enrollment Division websites.

Bond BHCIP Round 2: Unmet Needs Request for Applications (RFA) Informational Webinars

On May 30, DHCS released the Proposition 1 Bond BHCIP Round 2: Unmet Needs RFA. Eligible organizations can apply for funding to construct, acquire, and rehabilitate properties for behavioral health services for Medi-Cal members. DHCS will award more than $800 million in grants to projects that expand community-based behavioral health facilities and services. This is the anticipated final funding round through the Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act and is open to all eligible entities. Interested parties can attend an informational webinar on June 23 from 1-2 p.m. PDT to learn more about the application process. There will also be a second webinar for Tribal entities on June 24 from 2 to 3 p.m. PDT. For more information, visit the BHCIP website or email BHTInfo@dhcs.ca.gov.

CDC Guidelines Webinar

On June 24, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the What's New in the 2024 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Medical Eligibility Criteria (MEC), Selected Practice Recommendations (SPR), and Quality Family Planning (QFP) Guidelines webinar (advance registration required). The webinar will highlight key updates clinicians need to know, including new recommendations for individuals with chronic kidney disease, revised risk categories for depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate users, expanded guidance on intrauterine device-related pain management, and updated contraceptive counseling best practices. The changes will be discussed in detail, and the webinar will review the MEC/SPR app and job aids available from the CDC. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, a transcript and recording of the webinar, along with additional resources, will be available on the Family PACT website at a later date.

CalAIM MLTSS and Duals Integration Workgroup Meeting

On June 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) and Duals Integration Workgroup meeting (advance registration required). The workgroup is a stakeholder collaboration hub for CalAIM MLTSS and integrated care for dual eligible members. It allows stakeholders to provide feedback and share information about policy, operations, and strategy for upcoming changes to Medi-Cal and Medicare. The meeting agenda includes updates on the 2026 Medi-Medi Plan expansion, DHCS' Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) initiatives, the D-SNP State Medicaid Agency Contract and Policy Guide, and a duals data spotlight presentation on D-SNP data, dental data, ECM and Community Supports data, and Medicare enrollment data for duals. More information, background materials, transcripts, and video recordings of previous workgroup meetings are posted on the CalAIM MLTSS and Duals Integration Workgroup webpage. For questions or comments, please email DHCS at info@calduals.org.

California Maternal Health Task Force Launch

On June 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT, the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative and California Maternal Health Innovation Program will launch the California Maternal Health Task Force. This convening (advance registration required) will bring together maternal health leaders and partners from across the state to shape a shared vision for improving maternal health in California. Community-based organizations, funders, local health departments, the maternal health workforce, clinical professionals, professional associations, policy and public health stakeholders, academics, and people passionate about improving maternal health in California are encouraged to attend.

Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Panel (MCHAP) Meeting 

On July 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the quarterly MCHAP meeting at 1700 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, in the first-floor conference room (17.1014) or via public webinar (advanced registration required). MCHAP advises DHCS on policy and operational issues that affect children in Medi-Cal. The meeting will provide information about improving children's preventive care outcomes, updates on the California Children's Services (CCS) Quality Metric Redesign, and details about Medi-Cal vision services. 

Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC)/Behavioral Health (BH)-SAC Meeting

On July 23, 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 and feedback on efforts to provide equitable access to quality health care. BH-SAC provides DHCS with input on behavioral health initiatives and was created as part of the ongoing effort to integrate behavioral health with the greater health care system. The agenda and other meeting materials will be posted as the meeting date approaches. For more information, please email SACinquiries@dhcs.ca.gov or BehavioralHealthSAC@dhcs.ca.gov.

In Case You Missed It

Community Supports Showing Early Cost-Effectiveness While Meeting Medi-Cal Member Needs  

DHCS recently submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) its Community Supports, or In Lieu of Services (ILOS), Annual Report, which reviews the progress and impact of Medi-Cal Community Supports in 2024. For the first time, the report also includes a cost-effectiveness analysis for 2023. The report highlights key achievements, such as reduced emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and long-term care use, pointing to early evidence of both improved health outcomes and reduced costs when compared to the services they are replacing, such as inpatient, emergency department, and long-term care services. Of the 12 Community Supports studied, nine are already proving cost-effective, and the remaining three are expected to prove to be cost-effective over time. While progress has been significant, the report also identifies ongoing challenges and opportunities for further improvement, ensuring these services continue to evolve to meet the needs of Medi-Cal members.

Now Open: PATH Justice-Involved Round 4 Application

On May 12, DHCS opened the PATH Justice-Involved Round 4 application window. The deadline to apply for Round 4 funding is July 11, 2025. Only PATH Justice-Involved Round 3 awardees are eligible for the Justice-Involved Round 4 funding opportunity, and applications must be submitted on behalf of county sheriff's offices, county probation offices, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and county behavioral health agencies. Eligible agencies will receive email communications with instructions on how to apply. For more information about PATH Justice-Involved Round 4, please visit the PATH Justice-Involved webpage. All resources are available under “Reference Materials." Please submit questions to justice-involved@ca-path.com. 

Flexible Housing Subsidy Pools RFA

On May 7, DHCS announced the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pools (“Flex Pools") RFA. DHCS will select up to 10 local teams to participate in the Flex Pools Technical Assistance (TA) Academy and receive Flex Pools planning grants of approximately $150,000. The launch of Medi-Cal Transitional Rent and Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Housing Interventions creates an unprecedented opportunity to help people achieve better health outcomes through housing stability.

To allow participation by both Tribal entities and county behavioral health agencies in one Flex Pools TA team, DHCS amended the RFA to allow the award of two planning grants, one to a county behavioral health agency and one to a Tribal entity, if the applicants are part of the same Flex Pools TA Academy recipient team and otherwise meet scoring criteria. Only one Flex Pools TA Academy recipient team will be allowed per locality. Additionally, DHCS clarified the use of Flex Pools Planning Grants for reserves. All eligible uses for Flex Pools Planning Grants are detailed on pages 11-12 of the RFA. DHCS envisions “one-time startup funds to support Flex Pool launch or expansion" to include legal fees, procurement costs, the development of initial IT infrastructure, and training costs. Planning grants may not be used to fund rental subsidies, even to mitigate cash flow issues while the Flex Pool waits for reimbursement (i.e., creation of “reserves").

Flex Pools are intended to help counties and Tribal entities improve housing stability for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. They are a locally designed model to coordinate rental assistance and make the best use of available housing supports, aligning the work of managed care plans, county behavioral health agencies, and other key partners in the homeless services and rehousing systems. Applications are due to DHCS by 5 p.m. PDT on June 13, 2025. Organizations selected will be notified in July 2025. To learn more and apply, please visit the DHCS Housing for Health website. Please email questions to FlexPools@dhcs.ca.gov.

HCBA Waiver Amendment Application – 30-Day Public Comment Period

On May 12, DHCS posted a draft of the 2025 Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) waiver amendment for a 30-day public comment period, prior to submitting the final version to CMS for reauthorization. The HCBA waiver allows eligible enrollees to receive approved services via the telehealth delivery system. This transition advances California's efforts to comply with the federal Medicaid Home and Community-Based Settings (HCBS) Final Rule by reinforcing the delivery of services in integrated, community-based settings that support individual choice and autonomy. DHCS invites all interested parties to review the amendments and comment instructions on the DHCS HCBA Waiver webpage under the HCBA Waiver Amendment Application – 30-Day Public Comment from May 12, 2025 – June 12, 2025 heading. All comments must be received by June 12, 2025. If you have any questions, please email hcbspolicy@dhcs.ca.gov.

Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) – 30-Day Public Comment Period 

On May 12, DHCS posted the Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled – Continuous Nursing (ICF/DD-CN): Transition of Benefit/Setting SPA (SPA #25-0026) for a 30-day public comment period, prior to submitting the final version to CMS for approval. ICF/DD-CNs provide 24-hour personal care, developmental services, and nursing supervision for individuals with developmental disabilities who have continuous needs for skilled nursing care and have been certified by a physician and surgeon as warranting continuous skilled nursing care. This service is currently provided through the HCBA waiver. This SPA will transition the ICF/DD-CN benefit/setting from the HCBA waiver to the Medicaid State Plan as a long-term care setting. This transition advances California's efforts to comply with the federal HCBS Final Rule by reinforcing the delivery of services in integrated, community-based settings that support individual choice and autonomy. All comments must be received by June 12, 2025. If you have any questions, please email PublicInput@dhcs.ca.gov.​