​​November 10, 2023 - Stakeholder News

Join Our Team

DHCS is hiring! DHCS has opportunities for:

• ​Chief of the Financial Management Division within Fiscal (final filing date (FFD) is November 15). This executive role develops policies and procedures to ensure fiscal integrity, transparency, and accountability of approximately $150 billion in annual state and federal funding for DHCS.
  

• Behavioral Health Policy Medical Consultant II within Behavioral Health (FFD is November 27). This position provides clinical expertise and strategic advice to DHCS Behavioral Health leadership on the development and implementation of policy and initiatives designed to strengthen behavioral health care access, quality, and service delivery.
  

• Senior Assistant Chief Counsel for Fiscal and Financing within the Office of Legal Services (FFD is November 28). This position is responsible for complex legal counsel and litigation strategy formulation regarding DHCS fiscal, financial management, and health care policy.
  

• Senior Assistant Chief Counsel for Health Care Delivery Systems within the Office of Legal Services (FFD is November 30). This position is responsible for complex legal counsel and litigation strategy formulation regarding various aspects of the health care delivery system.

 DHCS is also hiring for our human resources, auditing, health policy, and information technology teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website.

 

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

Keep Your Community Covered: Schools and Families Webinar

On November 16, from 2 to 3 p.m., DHCS will hold a webinar on Keep Your Community Covered: Schools and Families (advance registration required). The webinar will provide school partners with important information to assist students and their families with renewing Medi-Cal coverage. The webinar will also highlight available outreach resources and best practices for engaging families with school age children.

Medi-Cal Enrollment Requirements and Procedures for CBOs and LHJs Webinar

On November 17, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., DHCS will hold a public stakeholder hearing via webinar (advance registration required) to discuss the regulatory provider bulletin on Medi-Cal enrollment requirements and procedures for community-based organizations (CBO) and local health jurisdiction (LHJ) providers that offer community health worker and/or asthma preventive services. Effective January 9, 2024, CBO and LHJ providers requesting enrollment in the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program can submit their application through the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) online enrollment portal.

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. on November 17 to be considered for publication. When submitting comments in writing, please ensure that the commenter and organization/association being represented are both identified in the comments. Written comments should be submitted to DHCSPEDStakeholder@dhcs.ca.gov. Based on the public comments received, DHCS will publish the final bulletin on the Medi-Cal and DHCS websites.

CalAIM Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICF/DD) Carve-In Billing and Payment Webinar
On November 17 at 1 p.m., DHCS will host the fourth in a series of educational webinars on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) ICF/DD carve-in (advance registration required). These webinars outline changes to the ICF/DD carve-in policy requirements. Starting on January 1, 2024, all Medi-Cal MCPs will be required to cover and coordinate institutional long-term care for members residing in an ICF/DD. The webinar series will feature several topics, including ICF/DD carve-in 101, directed payment policy and payment requirements, the per diem rate, accommodation code changes, and best practices for billing and payment. ICF/DD home, Regional Center, and Medi-Cal managed care representatives are encouraged to attend. All webinars are open to the public.

If there are specific questions you would like addressed during the webinar, please submit them in advance using this registration form or by emailing them to LTCtransition@dhcs.ca.gov. Webinar materials, including recordings, and additional details about upcoming webinars are posted on the CalAIM ICF/DD Long-Term Care Carve-In webpage.

Nursing Facility Financing Reform Webinar
On November 17, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., DHCS will hold a virtual stakeholder webinar (advance registration required) to discuss the development of the Skilled Nursing Facility Workforce Standards Program, Accountability Sanctions Program, and Workforce & Quality Incentive Program (WQIP) authorized by Assembly Bill 186 (Chapter 46, Statutes of 2022). This meeting will also provide an opportunity for stakeholder input. Additional information is posted on DHCS' Nursing Facility Financing Reform (AB 186) webpage.

Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) Webinar for Families and Community Partners

On November 28, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., DHCS will host a HACCP webinar (advance registration required) to share guidance with families and communities about applying for hearing aid coverage and helping children to maximize their HACCP benefits once enrolled. DHCS welcomes newly interested families, as well as families currently participating in HACCP, and community partners supporting families and children to join this webinar for program updates, tips, and a question-and-answer session. For more information, please visit www.dhcs.ca.gov/haccp.

HACCP Webinar for Medical Providers and Hearing Professionals

On December 19, from 12 to 1 p.m., DHCS will host a HACCP webinar (advance registration required) to share information with providers to help pediatric patients and their families maximize HACCP benefits. The training session will address program requirements for families to apply for coverage and the claims submission process for audiologists, otolaryngologists, physicians, and their office staff. For more information, please visit www.dhcs.ca.gov/haccp.

Medi-Cal Asset Elimination Webinar

On November 29, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., DHCS will hold a webinar on the elimination of assets for non-Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Medi-Cal programs, effective January 1, 2024. When implemented, this initiative will eliminate the asset test for all non-MAGI programs, including long-term care and Medicare Savings Programs. The webinar will provide background information on the asset elimination, implementation planning, procedural changes, and outreach materials. More information is available on the Asset Limit Changes for Non-MAGI Medi-Cal webpage.

CalAIM Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) and Duals Integration Workgroup Virtual Meeting

On November 30 at 10 a.m., DHCS will virtually host the CalAIM MLTSS and Duals Integration Workgroup meeting (advance registration required). The workgroup serves as a stakeholder collaboration hub for CalAIM MLTSS and integrated care for dual eligible members, and allows stakeholders to provide feedback and share information about policy, operations, and strategy for upcoming changes to Medi-Cal and Medicare.

Agenda topics will include reminders about the 2024 Medi-Cal transitions and noticing timelines, updates on Medi-Medi Plan outreach and the 2024 Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan Policy Guide development, July 2023 duals enrollment data, a spotlight presentation on the CalAIM recuperative care Community Support, and a presentation on the continuous coverage unwinding.

Background materials, transcripts, and video recordings of previous workgroup meetings, along with additional information about the workgroup, are posted on the CalAIM MLTSS and Duals Integration Workgroup webpage. For questions or comments, please email DHCS at info@calduals.org.

Medi-Cal Adult Expansion Webinar

On December 4, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., DHCS will host a webinar on the adult expansion of Medi-Cal (advance registration required) for CBOs, MCPs, providers, and other interested stakeholders, including those representing consumers, immigration, health care, legal aid, and immigrant adults. DHCS is implementing this expansion pursuant to Senate Bill 184 (Chapter 47, Statutes of 2022) on January 1, 2024. When implemented, the expansion will provide individuals 26-49 years of age with full scope Medi-Cal benefits, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, if they meet all other Medi-Cal eligibility criteria.

The webinar, which will be live interpreted in Spanish, will provide background information about the expansion, implementation planning, noticing, outreach, and more. Individuals may also submit questions or request to register for the webinar by sending an email to AdultExpansion@dhcs.ca.gov.
 

In Case You Missed It

Section 1115 Demonstrations: BH-CONNECT and CalAIM Transitional Rent Amendment

On October 20, DHCS submitted to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) the new Section 1115 demonstration request, entitled the ​California Behavioral Health Community-Based Organized Networks of Equitable Care and Treatment (BH-CONNECT) demonstration, and the proposed amendment to the CalAIM Section 1115 demonstration related to transitional rent services. Additionally, the federal public comment period will be open for BH-CONNECT and CalAIM transitional rent services from October 27 through November 26, 2023.

January 2024 Medi-Cal MCP Transition

As part of Medi-Cal transformation, some MCPs are changing on January 1, 2024, and approximately 1.2 million members will have new health plan options and/or will need to transition to new MCPs. Changing MCPs will not affect Medi-Cal member coverage or benefits. Members who transition to a new MCP are receiving notices about the transition. DHCS developed several resources to support members, providers, and other stakeholders with the transition, including the Managed Care Plan Transition Member webpage with a county “lookup" tool, links to member notices sent by Medi-Cal about MCP changes, frequently asked questions, and a Contact Us page for members to learn more about health plans and provider choices. There are also transition resources for providers and MCPs and stakeholders. More information about the transition is available in the 2024 Managed Care Plan Transition Policy Guide and Medi-Cal Eligibility Division Information Letter Number I 23-54.
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