April 2, 2024 – Stakeholder News
April 2, 2024 – Stakeholder News
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Case Study: California’s Medi-Cal Redetermination Journey
Over the last year, DHCS and county and federal partners have collaborated to redetermine the eligibility of Californians who receive health coverage through Medi-Cal. Throughout the process, DHCS adopted newly offered federal flexibilities to help reduce the administrative burden on Medi-Cal members and increase efficiencies in renewal processing. Several income-related waivers became effective for the December 2023 redetermination month. With technical assistance from the White House United States Digital Service (USDS), DHCS successfully automated these waivers, resulting in more members being successfully auto renewed without needing to fill out and return a renewal packet to their county.
USDS and the California Health & Human Services Agency published an issue brief summarizing the flexibilities California leveraged from the federal government to improve the auto-renewal processes. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced additional actions to help people maintain coverage as states continue Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility renewals.
Mobile Medi-Cal Dental Van Ncig saib
On April 4, DHCS will kick off the second mobile dental van tour in Fresno. DHCS’ Smile, California campaign promotes preventive dental services for children and youth to enhance utilization of essential dental care and improve oral health. In addition to Fresno, the mobile dental van will visit Pixley (April 5), Hollister (April 11), Avenal (April 12), and Huntington Park (May 4). Services performed onsite will include exams, X-rays, cleaning, and fluoride applications.
Medi-Cal members, medical and dental providers, and community-based organizations can learn more about Medi-Cal’s covered dental services by visiting the Smile, California website, in English at SmileCalifornia.org or in Spanish at SonrieCalifornia.org. The website includes helpful resources, such as informational flyers, videos, fact sheets, and the “Find-A-Dentist” tool to locate a dental provider.
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CalAIM Muab Kev Nkag Mus Nkag thiab Hloov Kho Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv (PATH) Kev Pabcuam Kev Pabcuam (TA) Kev Ua Lag Luam Chaw Muag Khoom Daim Ntawv Thov qhib rau lub Plaub Hlis 1
Thaum Lub Plaub Hlis 1, DHCS yuav qhib California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) PATH TA Marketplace Round 4 tus neeg muag khoom lub sijhawm thov. PATH TA Marketplace yog ib lub vev xaib ib-stop-shop uas cov koom haum tuaj yeem nkag tau dawb TA cov kev pab cuam los ntawm cov neeg muag khoom raug cai thiab pom zoo. Cov kev pab cuam muag khoom tau pab tsim nyog tau txais Kev Tswj Xyuas Kev Kho Mob (ECM) thiab Cov Chaw Pab Txhawb Hauv Zej Zog tsim lawv cov ntaub ntawv muaj peev xwm, ntxiv dag zog rau kev sib koom tes hauv kev sib koom tes, cob qhia cov neeg ua haujlwm tshiab thiab cov neeg ua haujlwm tshiab, siv cov kev pabcuam lus teb, thiab lwm yam.
Cov koom haum xav thov kom tsim nyog ua tus neeg muag khoom TA tuaj yeem thov rau ntawm PATH TA Marketplace lub vev xaib. Cov ntawv thov yuav tsum xa los ntawm 5 teev tsaus ntuj PDT rau lub Plaub Hlis 30. Cov neeg muag khoom pom zoo yuav tau txais PATH-nyiaj them rov qab rau TA cov kev pabcuam uas lawv muab hauv TA Marketplace.
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Interim Payment Performance Data
DHCS this week will post facility-level payment data for the 2023 SNF Workforce and Quality Incentive Program (WQIP), which incentivizes facilities to improve quality of care, advance equity in health care outcomes, and invest in the workforce. Data are posted on the SNF WQIP webpage. For WQIP program-related questions or concerns, please email SNFWQIP@dhcs.ca.gov. For additional information about other nursing facility financing reform programs authorized by AB 186 (Chapter 46, Statutes of 2022), please see the Nursing Facility Financing Reform (AB 186) webpage.
Telehealth: Sib tham sib siv Dashboard thiab Tshaj Qhia
DHCS this week will release the first phase of its public-facing interactive telehealth dashboard and companion Biennial Telehealth Utilization Report, as part of an overall initiative aimed at monitoring telehealth utilization within Medi-Cal. Both the dashboard and report will assist DHCS with building a better and more robust foundation for further evaluating telehealth policy using a data-driven approach. DHCS’ objective is to consistently provide a range of telehealth metrics and articulate telehealth data in a public-facing format that is easy to access and understand. DHCS anticipates publishing the dashboard and the report in two phases. Phase one will include eight measure sets of medical services data related to telehealth utilization. Phase two will expand the dashboard to include data sets related to mental health, the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System, and dental.
The dashboard is anticipated to be completed with all data sets in summer 2024 and will be updated annually thereafter. To serve as a complement to the dashboard, DHCS created the report, which provides an executive summary of Medi-Cal telehealth utilization, trends, and key takeaways from 2019 to 2022. For more information, please visit the Medi-Cal & Telehealth webpage. Please email your questions to Medi-Cal_telehealth@dhcs.ca.gov.
Health Enrollment Navigators Project Partner Data
On March 29, DHCS released Health Enrollment Navigators Project partner-specific data from January 2020 through September 2022 summarizing the following activities: outreach, application assistance, assistance with accessing and using health care services (navigation), troubleshooting, and redetermination assistance. Enrollment and retention are stratified by age groups, immigration status, race/ethnicity, sex, and written and spoken languages. Please see the Navigators Project Partner webpage for more information. Please email your questions to HealthNavigators@dhcs.ca.gov.
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DHCS tab tom ntiav rau kev sib txuas lus, tib neeg cov peev txheej, kev tshuaj xyuas, txoj cai tswjfwm kev noj qab haus huv, kev siv thev naus laus zis, thiab lwm pab pawg. Yog xav paub ntxiv, thov mus saib hauv CalCareers lub vev xaib.
Cov Rooj Sib Tham Cov Neeg Koom Tes thiab Webinar yuav los tom ntej
Consumer-Focused Stakeholder Workgroup (CFSW)
On April 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., DHCS will convene 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 no later than April 3. Please email your questions to DHCSCFSW@dhcs.ca.gov.
CalAIM PATH TA Marketplace Final Virtual Vendor Fairs
On April 9 and 25, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., DHCS will host the final virtual CalAIM PATH TA Marketplace Vendor Fairs, where vendors pitch their organization and services to potential TA Recipients and encourage utilization of the TA Marketplace. Approved TA Recipients and organizations currently contracted with or planning to contract with a Medi-Cal managed care plan (MCP) or other eligible entity to provide ECM/Community Supports are encouraged to attend.
The April 9 Vendor Fair features vendors providing services in Domain 2: Community Supports and Domain 7: Workforce. Domain 2 includes TA vendors with expertise in designing, implementing, and improving one or more Medi-Cal Community Supports services. Domain 7 includes TA vendors with expertise in recruiting and retaining a well-prepared, high-performing workforce, with a particular focus on members of the frontline, clinical, and/or “lived experience” workforces.
The April 25 Vendor Fair features vendors providing services in Domain 5: Promoting Health Equity and Domain 6: Supporting Cross-Sector Partnerships. Domain 5 includes TA vendors with expertise to help TA recipients advance health equity through their implementation of ECM/Community Supports and in their work with Medi-Cal members. Domain 6 includes TA vendors with the expertise to help TA recipients successfully engage in cross-sector partnerships, including partnerships between Medi-Cal MCPs and counties.
California Children’s Services (CCS) Advisory Group Meeting
On April 10, DHCS will host the CCS Advisory Group quarterly meeting. The CCS Advisory Group and DHCS work in partnership to ensure children in the CCS and the Whole Child Model (WCM) program receive appropriate and timely access to quality care. Agenda topics include updates on the WCM post transition monitoring and expansion, CCS Compliance, Monitoring, and Oversight Workgroup, Child Health and Disability Prevention program, and CCS Redesign Performance Measure Quality Subcommittee.
Additional information is available on the CCS Advisory Group webpage. Please email your questions to CCSProgram@dhcs.ca.gov.
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California Offering Free Fentanyl Test Strips Through the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP)
DHCS announced the expansion of the NDP to include fentanyl test strips (FTS), which can be obtained by eligible organizations throughout the state of California. FTS are used to detect the presence of fentanyl in drug samples prior to ingestion. NDP applicants will have the option to request naloxone, FTS, or both at no cost through the online application. Since the NDP began in 2018, it has distributed more than 3,994,000 kits of Naloxone, which have been used to reverse more than 252,000 overdoses.