Applications are due on or before Jan. 21 for those interested in participating in the Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) Behavioral Health Integration Program. Eligible entities include primary care, specialty care, perinatal care, hospital-based and behavioral health providers, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, Indian health services and public providers who provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries are eligible to submit applications. County-based providers are eligible to apply.
The program incentivizes improvement of physical and behavioral health outcomes, care delivery efficiency, and patient experience by establishing or expanding fully integrated care in a Medi-Cal managed health care plan’s (MCP) network, using culturally and linguistically appropriate teams with expertise in primary care, substance use disorder conditions, and mental health conditions — and who deliver coordinated comprehensive care for the whole patient.
The program’s goal is to increase MCP network integration for providers at all levels of integration (those just starting behavioral health integration in their practices as well as those that want to take their integration to the next level), focus on new target populations or health disparities, and improve their level of integration or impact.
In July, CHA submitted a comment letter strongly supporting the new project. DHCS will hold an informational webinar on the incentive program Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. Registration information is available here.
For more information visit the DHCS website.