DHCS expresses gratitude to our plans, providers, stakeholders, and other partners for their commitment and partnership during the COVID-19 PHE. We worked together and adapted quickly to the pandemic’s challenges and difficulties to care for millions of Californians. Our joint efforts enabled us to navigate the PHE with resilience and perseverance, and we are grateful for your ongoing engagement. ​​  

The health care industry, particularly hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and skilled nursing facilities, faced the brunt of the PHE’s impact. The surge in COVID-19 cases placed immense strain on those facilities, stretching resources to their limits and challenging our workforce as never before seen with overwhelming patient volumes, shortages of critical supplies and equipment, and the need for additional staff. Despite these challenges, our collective efforts enabled us to continue providing vital services. Some examples include, making permanent telehealth policies implemented during the PHE, including payment parity, flexibilities for FQHC partners and expanding telehealth to all delivery systems, stabilizing and retaining California’s health care workforce by providing retention payments to workers in qualifying facilities and clinics, and launching a Coverage Ambassadors program and Renewal Campaign to ensure that Medi-Cal members know how best to retain their health coverage, we have demonstrated our commitment to serving Californians.  ​​  

Rebuilding and strengthening our health care system requires a continued collaborative effort. We must focus on implementing strategies to bolster our system and workforce. We’ve learned a lot from this pandemic, and how we can better protect the health and well-being of all Californians, now and in the future.  ​​  

As a reminder, the end of the federal COVID-19 PHE has implications for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). DHCS acted to make permanent several flexibilities implemented over the course of the PHE. Below is a summary of end dates for key federal Medicaid provisions, with additional details on how DHCS unwound the PHE in the Medi-Cal program. ​​  

Medicaid thiab CHIP COVID-19 cov kev cai raws li American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): ​​  

• Tsis muaj nqi them rau cov tshuaj tiv thaiv COVID-19, kuaj, thiab kho rau Medi-Cal cov tswv cuab: Medicaid yuav tsum tau them rau cov tshuaj tiv thaiv COVID-19, kuaj, thiab kev kho mob uas tsis muaj nqi sib koom rau cov tswv cuab mus txog thaum kawg ntawm ARPA lub sijhawm them rau lub Cuaj Hlis 30, 2024.  DHCS tab tom xaiv los txuas ntxiv mus tas li rau cov tshuaj tiv thaiv COVID-19, kev sim, thiab kev kho mob dhau lub sijhawm ARPA.   ​​  
• Optional COVID-19 Group for Uninsured Individuals: California has taken advantage of the “optional COVID-19 group,” also referred to as the COVID-19 Uninsured Group, that provided uninsured individuals with coverage for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatment. This coverage expires on May 31 and DHCS began sending notices to individuals enrolled in the COVID-19 Uninsured Group about the program’s sunset along with a Single Streamlined Application to apply for Medi-Cal or Covered California coverage in late April 2023.  ​​  
• Txhim kho Tsoom Fwv Teb Chaws Match rau COVID-19 Cov Tshuaj Tiv Thaiv thiab Kev Tswj Tshuaj Tiv Thaiv: Cov xeev tau txais 100 feem pua tsoom fwv cov nyiaj sib koom ua ke rau kev pab them nqi tshuaj tiv thaiv thiab kev tswj hwm tshuaj tiv thaiv, raws li tau tsim los ntawm ARPA. Cov nyiaj sib txuam no kuj xaus rau lub Cuaj Hlis 30, 2024. Raws li tau piav qhia saum toj no, Medi-Cal tseem yuav them rau cov tshuaj tiv thaiv COVID-19.   ​​   

Txoj cai flexibilities ua tau los ntawm PHE:  ​​  

Tshooj 1135 kev zam yuav tas rau lub Tsib Hlis 11 thiab cov kev pab cuam Medicaid tsis tuaj yeem txuas ntxiv cov kev hloov pauv mus dhau qhov kawg ntawm PHE. Tsis tas li ntawd, DHCS tau raug xaiv los txiav tawm qhov xwm txheej ceev Medi-Cal tus kws kho mob rau kev tso npe nkag yooj yim ua ntej qhov kawg ntawm PHE, pib txij lub Peb Hlis 29, 2023. ​​  

Medicaid Disaster Relief State Plan Amendments (SPAs) kuj yuav tas rau lub Tsib Hlis 11, tshwj tsis yog cov uas DHCS tau ua tas mus li. Yog xav paub meej txog cov cai tshwj xeeb uas tau ua tas mus li los ntawm cov txheej txheem SPA ib txwm muaj, thov mus saib Tshooj I ntawm Medi-Cal COVID-19 PHE thiab Kev Pabcuam Kev Ua Haujlwm Txuas Ntxiv Unwinding Plan.  Tsis tas li ntawd, DHCS tsis ntev los no tau hloov kho Txhua Daim Ntawv Npaj 20-004 uas muab kev taw qhia rau Medi-Cal cov phiaj xwm saib xyuas txog kev tshem tawm cov kev hloov pauv ib ntus raws li PHE.​​    

Tshooj 1915(c) Cov Ntawv Ntxiv K lossis Tshooj 1115 Cov Ntawv Txuas K cov hnub txiav tawm txawv ntawm kev zam, tab sis feem ntau yuav tsis pub dhau rau lub hlis tom qab qhov kawg ntawm PHE. Ib yam li ntawd, DHCS npaj siab ua kom muaj qee qhov kev hloov pauv ntawm 1915(c) thiab 1115.  Yog xav paub meej txog cov cai no, thov mus saib tshooj I ntawm Medi-Cal COVID-19 PHE thiab Kev Pabcuam Kev Pabcuam Ntiag Tug Ua Haujlwm Unwinding Plan. ​​  

Tsiv mus tom ntej  ​​  

COVID-19 may no longer be classified as a public health emergency, however, COVID-19 will continue to be an ongoing health issue and California’s SMARTER Plan is specifically designed to effectively manage this ongoing reality. SMARTER, which stands for Shots, Masks, Awareness, Readiness, Testing, Education and Rx, is the next phase of the state’s COVID-19 response. It retains California’s operational preparedness and will continue to guide our work in supporting communities throughout the state. With the knowledge gained over the past few years, we understand the steps that we must take to prepare for future COVID-19 surges or variants, which includes reducing the burden on health care systems. The SMARTER Plan acknowledges and builds upon California’s previous successes and is designed to be adaptable. Additionally, this website hosted by the California Health & Human Services Agency, provides resources for Californians about various services and programs that are impacted by the end of the COVID-19 PHE, including flexibilities and other policy changes.​​   

Mus tom ntej, ua haujlwm ua ke peb tuaj yeem ntseeg siab daws cov teeb meem uas COVID-19 tshwm sim thaum ua kom cov neeg California noj qab haus huv.​​