DHCS Stakeholder News - July 14, 2023
Top News
DHCS Budget Highlights
For fiscal year 2023-24, DHCS' budget includes a total of $156.6 billion and 4,802.5 positions. Of that amount, $1.3 billion funds state operations (DHCS operations), while $155.3 billion supports local assistance (funding for program costs, partners, and administration). View DHCS' budget highlights document.
Program Updates
Health Enrollment Navigators to Help with Renewals
DHCS is doing all we can to help Medi-Cal members who need to renew their Medi-Cal eligibility have the support they need to continue their Medi-Cal. Last week, Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project partners were notified that they will be provided lists of Medi-Cal members who may need help with their renewals, they will get two sets of lists over the process:
- Approximately two months before a member's renewal packet is due, DHCS will provide the local navigators with a list of Medi-Cal members to reach out to and offer assistance.
- Once a member misses their Medi-Cal renewal date and fails to return their renewal packet, DHCS will share a list of Californians who were disenrolled and still have 90-days to get reinstated into Medi-Cal.
Subsequent lists will be provided monthly through May 2024. Partners are expected to use their list to proactively engage in outreach to provide redetermination assistance to Medi-Cal members. View the list of navigators.
Asset Elimination State Plan Amendment (SPA) Approved
On July 14, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved DHCS' SPA to eliminate the asset test for all Non-Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Medi-Cal programs, including Medicare Savings Programs and Long-Term Care programs beginning January 1, 2024. This change, as enacted by Assembly Bill (AB) 133, (Chapter 143, Statutes of 2021), will align the treatment of assets with MAGI programs to allow more consistent eligibility rules across Medi-Cal programs and will help facilitate smoother transitions between programs. For additional information about the asset elimination in California, please see All County Welfare Director Letter 22-25.
Medi-Cal Rx
On June 23, Medi-Cal Rx Reinstatement Phase III, Lift 4 was successfully implemented, lifting the Transition Policy for 46 Standard Therapeutic Classes.
On July 3, a Medi-Cal Rx Reinstatement 30-day Countdown Bulletin was released, announcing that Phase IV, Lift 1: Reinstatement of Claim Edits for Age, Gender, and Labeler Code Restrictions for Members 22 Years of Age and Older will be implemented on August 4, 2023. Medi-Cal Rx is moving forward with reinstatement for members 22 years of age and older with the initiation of Phase IV through a series of lifts impacting claim utilization management edits.
Join Our Team
DHCS is hiring! DHCS has an immediate opening for Chief, Program Data Reporting Division, within Enterprise Data and Information Management. This executive role serves as the principal policymaker and advisor in support of comprehensive data analytics and reporting activities.
DHCS is also hiring for our fiscal, human resources, legal, auditing, health policy, and information technology teams. For more information, please visit the CalCareers website.
DHCS is dedicated to preserving and improving the overall health and well-being of all Californians. DHCS' mission is to provide the most vulnerable residents with equitable access to affordable, integrated, high-quality health care, and is currently transforming the Medi-Cal program to make sure it provides the care Californians need to live healthier, happier lives.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars
Webinar on California's Medicare Populations
On July 17, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., DHCS will host a webinar (advance registration required), entitled "California's Medicare Populations: Linguistic and Cultural Diversity, Plus the Near-Dual Group", that will include presentations and a panel discussion on two recently published Medicare data chartbooks. The chartbooks highlight the linguistic and cultural diversity of Californians with Medicare and the demographics for Medicare beneficiaries near the Medi-Cal income eligibility threshold, known as “near-duals". The data chartbooks are available on the DHCS Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration (OMII) webpage.
Smile, California Campaign for Medi-Cal Dental Services
On July 26, from 12 to 1 p.m., Smile, California will host the Super Sealants for a Healthy Webinar Smile webinar (advance registration required). Attendees will learn about activities that can be implemented to amplify the importance of preventive dental care available through Medi-Cal for children and teens to be healthy and ready for the 2023-2024 school year.
Sealants for a Healthy Smile is a statewide promotion to encourage Medi-Cal parents and guardians to schedule regular dental check-ups and requests for sealants for their children. The promotion begins on July 25 with a press event in Sacramento. Remarks will be delivered by California Dental Director Dr. Jayanth Kumar, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and DHCS Medi-Cal Dental Services Division Chief Adrianna Alcala-Beshara, JD, MBA.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) and Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee (BH-SAC) Meeting
On July 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., DHCS will host the third SAC and BH-SAC hybrid meeting of 2023 (advance registration required). It will open as a joint meeting, with topics shared by SAC and BH-SAC. There will be a BH-SAC-only meeting held after the joint meeting; there is no SAC-only meeting. Attendees can attend in person at The California Endowment, located at 1414 K Street in downtown Sacramento, or virtually. For more information, please visit the SAC and BH-SAC webpages.
Nursing Facility Financing Reform Stakeholder Webinar
On July 27, from 2 to 3 p.m., DHCS will host a webinar (advance registration required) to discuss and gather stakeholder input on the Skilled Nursing Facility Workforce & Quality Incentive Program, Workforce Standards Program, and Accountability Sanctions Program. For more information, visit the Nursing Facility Financing Reform (AB 186) webpage.
Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) Webinar for Medical Providers and Hearing Professionals
On September 14, 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.
In Case You Missed It
Statewide High-Heat Advisory
The Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), in coordination with the National Weather Service, has activated Phase II of the State Extreme Heat Response Plan for the state. Below is a summary of the situation:
- Excessive Heat Watch - Beginning July 12 for: Lassen, Sonoma, Shasta, San Mateo, Tehama, Merced, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Napa, San Joaquin, Tulare, Plumas, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Monterey, San Benito, Placer, Trinity, Sierra, Sutter, Solano, Santa Clara, Modoc, Amador, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Ventura, Yuba, Yolo, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Nevada, Alameda, and Butte counties.
- Excessive Heat Watches will go into effect for much of the southern half of California from July 11 through July 16. Additional heat-related watches, warnings, and advisories are also possible farther north, including the San Joaquin Valley.
- Increased runoff from snowpack melt in the Sierras may cause downriver flooding in low-elevation areas, which may impact transportation.
- Sustained triple-digit temperatures may cause strain to the state's power grid and may impact the operations of facilities.
On July 11, Governor Gavin Newsom launched Heat Ready CA, also available in Spanish, to provide information and support, specifically tailored for Californians, such as older adults, individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions, expectant mothers, young children, city dwellers, and individuals who lack convenient access to air conditioning or natural shade, among various other groups. Listos California has additional tools and information to help mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures.
