August 25, 2025
Program Updates
Free Reproductive Health Support
DHCS is making Medi-Cal providers aware of a new resource that may be helpful and provide additional support as they work to provide important reproductive health care services to Medi-Cal members. The University of California, San Francisco launched the Reproductive Health Hotline (ReproHH), which is a free, confidential clinician-to-clinician consultation phone service for all providers, including Medi-Cal providers, who have questions about sexual and reproductive health. ReproHH is staffed by physicians with specialized expertise in these clinical areas to minimize the need for referrals to specialists, avoid unnecessary treatments, and enhance health care outcomes. ReproHH can be reached at 1-844-ReproHH (1-844-737-7644). ReproHH is available on-demand from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Please visit
https://reprohh.ucsf.edu/ for more information. Medi-Cal providers with questions, or who would like to request physical materials for events or other distribution opportunities, can email
reprohealthhotline@ucsf.edu.
Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Policy Updates
DHCS received approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on a second CGT therapy, CASGEVY, with a launch date of October 1, 2025. Updates regarding CASGEVY are being made to the Medi-Cal Provider Manual, and an updated bulletin is forthcoming. The policy for LYFGENIA remains unchanged and became effective on July 1, 2025.
DHCS was accepted into the CGT Access Model for Medi-Cal as of March 25, 2025. This model aims to improve and streamline access to life-changing CGT medications for Medi-Cal members in both the fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems with rare and severe diseases. By promoting better access to these CGT medications, Medi-Cal members are expected to experience improved health outcomes and quality of life. DHCS expects that additional CGT medications for other rare and severe diseases may be added over time and policies would then be updated accordingly. Additional information is available on the
CGT Access Model webpage. Please email any questions about the CGT Access Model to
DHCSCGT@dhcs.ca.gov.
Update on Smile, California: Raising Awareness About Medi-Cal Dental Benefits
Smile, California is committed to improving the oral health of Medi-Cal members through proactive outreach and education. Community engagement, culturally relevant materials, and partnerships with local organizations help ensure Medi-Cal members understand their benefits, know how to access care, and feel confident navigating the dental system. Please see below for upcoming Smile, California education and awareness activities:
- Mobile Dental Van Events. To help bring essential dental care to underserved Medi-Cal communities, Smile, California is partnering with Smile Dental Services to hold five mobile dental van events in counties with limited access to nearby Medi-Cal Dental providers, including Alpine, Del Norte, Sierra, Siskiyou, and Mono. The first mobile dental van event will be held on August 28-29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT, at the Loyalton Senior Center in Sierra County. Smile, California will promote each location through a variety of channels to help spread the word. Outreach efforts will include county-specific flyers, social media posts, event announcements shared with local organizations, updates to the SmileCalifornia.org Events page, and engagement with local health departments, community-based organizations, and community centers.
- Back-Tooth-School Campaign. On September 2, Smile, California will launch its annual Back-Tooth-School campaign to help raise awareness about Medi-Cal Dental benefits and highlight the importance of oral health for school readiness and overall well-being. This year's effort will focus on reaching K-12 students and their families, reminding them that regular dental care is an essential part of starting the school year strong. Medi-Cal families, partners, school staff, and others who play a role in children's health will be connected through several outreach activities, including a partner webinar on August 26, Smile Alerts, direct outreach to schools and community organizations (such as local oral health programs, health departments, and community-based organizations), along with social media campaigns. New materials have been created specifically for younger children and teens.
- Oral Health Video Series. DHCS is developing an ongoing series of oral health videos. The first three videos are available on the Medi-Cal Dental Community Health Workers webpage and DHCS YouTube channel. These initial videos cover Special Health Care Needs, Emergency Dental Services, and Medi-Cal Dental Benefits. The remaining videos in the series are anticipated to be released this fall. Upcoming topics will focus on older adults, pregnancy, infant oral health, school-age oral health, oral hygiene, and nutrition. Community Health Workers and Coverage Ambassadors are encouraged to use these videos as an educational resource to support and educate Medi-Cal members about oral health care.
Join Our Team
DHCS is seeking talented and motivated individuals to serve as:
- Assistant Deputy Director (ADD), Fiscal. The ADD assists with leading DHCS' fiscal activities and plays a vital role in managing DHCS' fiscal operations. This new role will help strengthen financial integrity, accountability, and transparency. The ADD helps lead the development and implementation of estimating, budgeting, accounting, and reporting policies and processes for more than $200 billion annually in federal and state funds. Applications must be submitted by September 2.
- Chief, Fiscal Forecasting Division. The Chief plays a key leadership role in the development and administration of DHCS' budget by overseeing the state's assumptions, estimates, and funding for the Medi-Cal and other family health programs. The Chief also serves as an advisor regarding the development and implementation of budgets, financial activities, and policies. Applications must be submitted by September 5.
DHCS is also hiring for its accounting, behavioral health, Home and Community-Based Services, 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.
Patient-Centered Approaches to Contraception in Perimenopause Webinar
On August 26, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will host the
Patient-Centered Approaches to Contraception in Perimenopause webinar (advance registration required). This webinar for family planning providers will offer critical insights and practical knowledge to enhance your practice and support patients through perimenopause and menopause. Family planning providers are vital to supporting patients through these significant life stages. This session will equip providers with the latest information on the pathophysiology, symptomatology, contraception options, and patient-centered management strategies for perimenopause and menopause. For those 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. Continuing Medical Education credits are available to those who register and attend the live event.
CalHHS CARE Act Working Group Meeting
On August 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT, the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) will hold its Community Assistance, Recovery & Empowerment (CARE) Act Working Group meeting. The meeting will feature a presentation and discussion about the recently released
2025 CARE Act Annual Report, which details the CARE Act's early progress in connecting Californians with serious mental illness to treatment, housing, and hope. There will also be a panel discussion on the Role of Peers in CARE, as well as updates on implementation and recent activities. Please see the
CARE Act Working Group website for more information.
Tribal and Indian Health Program Representatives Meeting
On August 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PDT, DHCS will virtually host the Tribal and Indian Health Program Representatives meeting to provide updates on DHCS programs and initiatives. DHCS hosts these quarterly meetings to facilitate early engagement and discussion with Tribal partners on the development of DHCS policies that may affect health care for American Indians in California. These meetings are intended to allow Tribal and Indian health program representatives a forum to provide feedback on DHCS initiatives with specific impact to Tribes, Indian health programs, and American Indian Medi-Cal members. The invitation and agenda are posted on the
Indian Health Program webpage. Other meeting materials will be posted as they become available.
Cal-MAP Webinar for Medi-Cal Providers
On September 4, from 12 to 1 p.m. PDT, DHCS' ACEs Aware initiative will hold a
webinar about the California Child and Adolescent Mental Health Access Portal (
Cal-MAP). The webinar will provide an overview of Cal-MAP's services, including consultation on screening, diagnosis, and treatment from child psychiatrists, and resource and referral guidance from licensed social workers. Cal-MAP is a no-cost consultation program that supports primary care and school-based providers in delivering timely, high-quality mental health care to youth ages 0–25. Cal-MAP is part of the CalHOPE pediatric access initiative and is designed to expand access to behavioral health services, particularly in California's rural and underserved communities. Through Cal-MAP, Medi-Cal providers who screen for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress can be connected with child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers for real-time support.
Medi-Cal Children's Health Advisory Panel (MCHAP) Meeting
On September 11, 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. MCHAP advises DHCS on policy and operational issues that affect children in Medi-Cal. For more information, please see the
MCHAP webpage or email
MCHAP@dhcs.ca.gov.
In Case You Missed It
Public Comment Period Open for High-Fidelity Wraparound Concept Paper
On July 31, DHCS released the High-Fidelity Wraparound Concept Paper for public comment. The paper describes the initial vision for Medi-Cal High-Fidelity Wraparound payment and monitoring policies and associated updated standards for service delivery in both Medi-Cal and the Behavioral Health Services Act, in alignment with national standards and state best practices. DHCS invites the public to comment on the concepts presented in the paper and provide responses to the specific questions for stakeholder input. Comments may be submitted to BH-CONNECT@dhcs.ca.gov by 5 p.m. PDT on August 28.
