Medi-Cal

About Medi-Cal

Every year, California’s hospitals treat millions of patients, many of them covered by Medi-Cal, the state’s health care safety net. This includes numerous essential health care services for Californians, including care for more than 50% of all births, 46% of behavioral health-related emergency department visits, 58% of rural hospital patient care days, 1 million inpatient stays, and nearly 16 million outpatient visits in 2018. CHA is committed to protecting Medi-Cal rates and assuring that the state’s neediest maintain access to the high quality of care that all Californians deserve.

5 Things To Know: Study Finds CA Bridge Program is Highly Effective, Funding to Continue; San Diego TB Prevention Education and Community Engagement Summit; San Diego Workforce Partnerships Substance Use Counselor Program; DHCS Publishes Quality Ratings for Managed Care Plans and County Behavioral Health Plans; Medicare Coverage for Behavioral Health Expanded

STUDY FINDS CA BRIDGE PROGRAM IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, FUNDING TO CONTINUE: JAMA Network recently published a study highlighting the impact of the CA Bridge Program on opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in emergency departments (EDs). The study found that 86% of OUD patients received buprenorphine in participating hospitals, with 50% continuing treatment 30 days after […]

5 Things To Know: San Diego City Council Declares Behavioral Health Bed Crisis, County of San Diego Emergency Medical Services, San Diego County Releases Draft APOT Policy, CDPH Releases New AFL on Covid-19 Vaccinations,CHA Releases FAQs on Implementing AB 1882 Requirements

SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL DECLARES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BED CRISIS: On Dec. 5, the San Diego City Council declared a behavioral health crisis due to the lack of available behavioral health beds in the city. A recent survey of hospital members found that on any given day in the HASD&IC region, about 50 patients who are […]

5 Things To Know: Medi-Cal Redeterminations, Covid-19 Precautions, National Recovery Month, Timely Claims Payments, HCAI Seismic Webinars

MEDI-CAL REDETERMINATIONS: The Department of Health Care Services has published a new interactive dashboard detailing statewide and county-level demographic data on Medi-Cal application processing, enrollments, redeterminations, and renewal outcomes. Preliminary data on the Medi-Cal redeterminations show that in San Diego County, 16,336 Medi-Cal beneficiaries were disenrolled effective June 30. In Imperial County, 1,482 beneficiaries were […]

5 Things To Know: Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan Transition, Information Needed, National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Avian Flu, County Budget

MEDI-CAL MANAGED CARE PLAN TRANSITION: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has released an All Plan Letter that provides guidance to all Medi-Cal managed care health plans (MCPs) regarding the 2024 MCP Transition, which is effective Jan. 1, 2024. In addition, DHCS has developed the 2024 Managed Care Plan Transition Policy Guide, which establishes and details the requirements for the implementation of the 2024 MCP Transition. The Policy Guide was initially published in May 2023 and will continue to be updated throughout 2023. All updates will be specifically identified in a dedicated section in the Policy Guide and will outline updates from prior versions in order to manage version history. The Policy Guide, which is also available on the DHCS 2024 MCP Transition web page, will denote effective dates and end dates, if applicable, to the specific policies contained therein. 

5 Things To Know: Medi-Cal Enrollment Systems and Disenrollments, White Paper, Supplier Diversity Reports, Overdose Prevention And Outreach, EMS System Plan

MEDI-CAL ENROLLMENT SYSTEMS AND DISENROLLMENTS: The current enrollment system (MyBenefits CalWIN) that hospitals, clinics, schools, and social service providers use to connect San Diegans to CalFresh and Medi-Cal will shut down on June 29. The new system, BenefitsCal, will not be available until July 3. As a result, hospitals will have to use alternate methods for assisting patients with Medi-Cal applications between June 29 and July 3. July 1 is also the first month that Medi-Cal beneficiaries will be disenrolled if they didn’t renew their coverage. Please reach out to Lindsey Wade at lwade@hasdic.org with any questions or concerns.

5 Things To Know: Transitions Of Care Sub Workgroup, Feedback Sought, Behavioral Health Scholarships, Cybersecurity, Webinar

TRANSITIONS OF CARE SUB WORKGROUP: The county of San Diego, along with the Legal Aid Society of San Diego and HASD&IC, helped establish a sub workgroup of the Healthy San Diego Dual Eligible/Long Term Services & Supports (LTSS) Workgroup — the Transitions of Care Sub Workgroup. The Sub Workgroup will focus on pressing matters caused by the gaps and challenges in keeping older/disabled adults receiving Medi-Cal connected to quality care and LTSS. The focus is on access to LTSS for older adults and the regional work around the dually eligible beneficiaries, and transitions of care, whether moving from the community or back into the community, and care coordination by the payer, including the providers and caregivers. If you or someone from your organization is interested in joining, please contact Caryn Sumek at csumek@hasdic.org.   

5 Things To Know: San Diego County Budget, State Budget May Revision, Mental Health Awareness Month, Mark Your Calendars, New Substance Use Disorder Resources

SAN DIEGO COUNTY BUDGET: The county has released its 2023-24 budget, which addresses a number of issues — homelessness, building healthy and safe communities, investing in working families, mental health and substance use disorders, sustainability, and justice reform. There is an opportunity for the community to comment and provide input before the board deliberates and adopts a budget at the end of June. Community meetings are being held this week, and next month, public hearings will take place.  

5 Things To Know: Fentanyl Awareness Day, Hospitals Needed For Performance Improvement Project, Base Station Hospital System And Trauma Center Catchment Area Designations Assessment, Covid-19 Data Reporting, Medi-Cal Scam Alert

FENTANYL AWARENESS DAY: People are dying at alarming rates due to illicit fentanyl, and May 9 is dedicated to raising awareness about this growing problem. Data from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office show that fentanyl-related overdose deaths increased 2,375% in San Diego County, from 33 in 2016 to at least 817 in 2021. In Imperial County, seizures of fentanyl increased 272% from fiscal year (FY) 2019 to the third quarter of FY 2022, from 40 pounds to 149 pounds. More information is available on the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency’s website

5 Things To Know: Public Safety Power Shutoffs, Medi-Cal Rx, Minority Fellowship Program, Patient Safety Evaluation Summit, Behavioral Health System

PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFFS: San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) is conducting two public safety power shutoff (PSPS) exercises and welcomes the attendance and participation of external stakeholders:   

PSPS Tabletop Exercise: April 11, 8 a.m.-noon ​  

PSPS Full-Scale Exercise: May 1-2​  

If you are interested in participating, please complete the Extent of Play Agreement and email a PDF copy to EMTrainingExercise@sdge.com. If you are interested in scheduling a tour for your organization, please reach out to EmergencyServices_SDGE@sdge.com

5 Things To Know: COVID-19 Uninsured Group Program, Medi-Cal and CalFresh, Funding Opportunity, Health Plans, COVID-19 Health Orders

COVID-19 UNINSURED GROUP PROGRAM: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is clarifying that coverage for this group expires on May 31 — the last day of the month in which the COVID-19 public health emergency ends — not May 11. California has taken advantage of the “optional COVID-19 group,” which provides uninsured and underinsured individuals with Medi-Cal coverage for COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatment at no cost to the individual through the COVID-19 Uninsured Group Program. Beginning March 20, DHCS will send the individuals in this group a sunset notice in their preferred language with a copy of the “Application for Health Insurance” and a “Notice of Language Services.”