​December 2, 2024

Program Updates

2024 Legislative Summary Finalized

DHCS' Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs issued the final 2024 Legislative Summary. This comprehensive report of all policy and budget bills impacting DHCS highlights those signed or vetoed by the Governor. It also includes full copies of veto messages, offering valuable insights into the decision-making process shaping California's health care landscape. 

This year's legislative activity addressed critical topics, such as behavioral health reforms, Medi-Cal enhancements, and innovative approaches to community health and pharmacy benefits, showcasing California's commitment to advancing health care for all.

Medi-Cal Dental Community Health Worker Services

Effective December 1, Community Health Worker (CHW) services have been added as a benefit under Medi-Cal Dental. CHWs are important in addressing key barriers to dental care and serve as a bridge between Medi-Cal members and the oral health care system, offering support to help individuals access and maintain oral health. DHCS received federal approval on July 26, 2024, to extend CHW services to Medi-Cal Dental. The added CHW benefit integrates CHWs into the oral health care system to enhance preventive care and provide support services to Medi-Cal members. Medi-Cal Dental providers can now bill for CHW services under the updated dental fee schedule.

Covered CHW services include oral health education and oral health navigation assistance to help members access and maintain care. CHWs provide information, training, and support to help members navigate the oral health care system, understand how it works, and become active participants in their own care. In addition, CHWs connect members with community resources that promote oral health and address specific barriers. This includes connecting members to translation or interpretation services and arranging transportation for dental visits.

Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Technical Assistance (TA) Marketplace Round 5 Vendor Procurement

On January 1, 2025, DHCS will open the PATH TA Marketplace Round 5 vendor application. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025. Round 5 will be a targeted procurement for new and existing hands-on service offerings that address TA Marketplace gaps. The Round 5 procurement will seek TA vendor applications for all seven TA domains, but will focus on services for the following provider types: rural providers, Medi-Cal Tribal and Designee of Indian Health Program providers, maternal and child-serving providers, and transitional rent providers.

DHCS will not accept submissions for new off-the-shelf projects or changes to existing off-the-shelf projects during the Round 5 procurement period. Instead, the Round 5 application will solicit on-demand resources from existing TA vendors. The resources must be already fully developed, meet the needs of the TA Marketplace, and include a final cost. Organizations interested in applying to qualify as a TA vendor are encouraged to review the guidance document. Please submit questions to ta-marketplace@ca-path.com.

Join Our Team

DHCS is seeking talented and motivated individuals to serve as:

• Chief of the Contract and Enrollment Review Division (CERD) within Audits and Investigations. The Chief is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities for compliance reviews of health plans, providers, and Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery Systems. The Chief also leads the development and implementation of policies and procedures related to program integrity of Medi-Cal and other DHCS programs. Applications must be submitted by December 6.
  

• Assistant Deputy Director for the Office of Strategic Partnerships to help lead the planning, development, and implementation of large-scale DHCS initiatives that build new cross-sector strategic partnerships beyond Medi-Cal, including those with other departments, commercial insurers, and innovators in technology and philanthropy, such as the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, CalHOPE, Medi-Cal School-Based Services, and Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative. Applications must be submitted by December 13.

DHCS is also hiring for its health policy, information technology, and other teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website. 

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars

Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program Webinar

On December 3, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST, DHCS will host a webinar to share guidance with families and community partners about applying for hearing aid coverage and maximizing Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program benefits once enrolled. For more information and to pre-register, please visit the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program webpage.

PATH Collaborative Planning and Implementation (CPI) Best Practices Webinar

On December 6, from 10 to 11 a.m. PST, DHCS will host a public webinar, Hospital Engagement in CalAIM: Supporting Connection to Enhanced Care Management (ECM) Services Among Eligible Medi-Cal Members (advance registration required). Guest presenters include Dignity Health, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, and Marshall Medical Center.
  
The webinar will explain and emphasize the value of hospitals engaging with California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) providers in their region, recognize opportunities for improved collaboration on discharge planning among hospital staff and ECM or Community Supports providers, and identify opportunities for warm handoffs and other coordination strategies between hospital staff and ECM providers to improve member connection to ECM and Community Supports services. Please submit questions to collaborative@ca-path.com.

Consumer-Focused Stakeholder Workgroup (CFSW)

On December 6, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PST, DHCS will convene the monthly meeting of the CFSW, which provides stakeholders an opportunity to review and provide feedback on a variety of consumer messaging materials. The forum focuses on eligibility and enrollment-related activities and strives to offer an open discussion on Medi-Cal policies and functionality. Meeting materials, including the meeting agenda, will be posted to the CFSW webpage DHCS-Consumer-Focused-Stakholder-Workgroup-CFSW by noon on December 4. Please e-mail your questions to DHCSCFSW@dhcs.ca.gov.

DHCS Harm Reduction Summits

DHCS aims to collaborate with communities across the state to promote harm reduction within California's substance use disorder treatment system and create low-barrier, patient-centered care. DHCS encourages substance use disorder treatment providers and staff (including social workers, peers, front desk staff, case managers, nurses, physicians, and all staff in substance use disorder treatment settings) to attend and learn about best practices for incorporating the tenets of harm reduction into substance use disorder treatment. Summits will be held in Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties in winter 2025. Register on the event website.

In Case You Missed It

DHCS Major Program Initiatives - Go-Live Dates (Updated)

From CalAIM to transforming the state's behavioral health programs, DHCS' initiatives provide equitable access to quality health care, leading to a healthy California for all. The links below reflect DHCS' major program initiatives and anticipated go-live dates, pending readiness and federal approvals. This useful resource available on the DHCS website has been updated, as of November 22, and new information will be added as needed: DHCS Major Program Initiatives – Go-Live Dates.

New Family PACT Portal Coming in January 2025

From January 13 through February 2, 2025, the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) program's client eligibility and enrollment transaction services will transition from the Health Access Programs (HAP) Client Eligibility System to a new Family PACT portal. The HAP Client Eligibility System will be disabled on February 3, 2025, after which all Family PACT client enrollment, changes, and deactivations will be completed exclusively through the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS) Family PACT portal.

To access the new portal, existing users must confirm and/or update current site certifier contact information in the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) portal to receive their login credentials. Family PACT providers who do not have a current site certifier in PAVE must email site certifier information (National Provider Identifier, first and last name, and email address) to providerservices@dhcs.ca.gov as soon as possible.