Disyembre 2, 2024
Mga Update sa Programa
2024 Legislative Summary Na-finalize
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.
Pagbibigay ng 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.
Sumali sa Aming Koponan
Ang DHCS ay naghahanap ng mga mahuhusay at motibasyon na mga indibidwal na maglingkod bilang:
- Chief ng Contract and Enrollment Review Division (CERD) sa loob ng Audits and Investigations. Ang Hepe ay may pananagutan sa pagpaplano, pag-oorganisa, at pagdidirekta sa mga aktibidad para sa mga pagsusuri sa pagsunod sa mga planong pangkalusugan, mga tagapagkaloob, at Mga Organisadong Delivery System ng Drug Medi-Cal. Pinamunuan din ng Hepe ang pagbuo at pagpapatupad ng mga patakaran at pamamaraan na may kaugnayan sa integridad ng programa ng Medi-Cal at iba pang mga programa ng DHCS. Dapat isumite ang mga aplikasyon bago ang Disyembre 6.
- Assistant Deputy Director para sa Office of Strategic Partnerships upang tumulong sa pamumuno sa pagpaplano, pagpapaunlad, at pagpapatupad ng malakihang mga inisyatiba ng DHCS na bumuo ng mga bagong cross-sector na strategic partnership na lampas sa Medi-Cal, kabilang ang mga may iba pang mga departamento, commercial insurer, at mga innovator sa teknolohiya at pagkakawanggawa, tulad ng Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative-CalHOPE, Revolved Justice Services, CalHOPE, Revolved Justice Services Inisyatiba. Ang mga aplikasyon ay dapat isumite bago ang Disyembre 13.
Ang DHCS ay kumukuha din para sa patakarang pangkalusugan nito, teknolohiya ng impormasyon, at iba pang mga koponan. Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, mangyaring bisitahin ang website ng CalCareers.
Mga Paparating na Mga Pagpupulong ng Stakeholder at Webinar
Webinar ng Programang Saklaw ng Hearing Aid para sa mga Bata
Sa Disyembre 3, mula 11 am hanggang 12 pm PST, magho-host ang DHCS ng webinar para magbahagi ng patnubay sa mga pamilya at mga kasosyo sa komunidad tungkol sa pag-aplay para sa coverage ng hearing aid at pag-maximize sa mga benepisyo ng Hearing Aid Coverage para sa mga Bata kapag naka-enroll na. Para sa higit pang impormasyon at para mag-preregister, pakibisita ang webpage ng Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program.
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.
Kung sakaling Nalampasan Mo Ito
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.
Bagong Family PACT Portal Paparating na sa Enero 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.
To support Family PACT providers during this transition, beginning in December 2024, providers will have access to comprehensive training materials and webinars through the Family PACT Online Training Center Learning Management System. These resources will ensure that providers are equipped to use the Family PACT portal effectively before it launches. Detailed instructions for accessing the Family PACT portal will be emailed to all enrolled and actively billing Family PACT providers in early January 2025.