What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has updated service definitions for four of the 14 community supports that Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) may offer as part of the state’s Medi-Cal reform effort, California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM). The four updated service definitions go into effect July 1.
What else to know: According to DHCS, the updated definitions aim to improve networks, equity, and enrollment by ensuring that services are implemented in a clear and unified way across the state.
DHCS is updating the following four community support service definitions based on its review of utilization patterns and extensive engagement with key stakeholders:
- Nursing Facility Transition/Diversion to Assisted Living Facilities
- Community Transition Services/Nursing Facility Transition to a Home
- Asthma Remediation
- Medically Tailored Meals/Medically Supportive Food
In this February 2025 update, which is a temporary excerpt to the Community Supports Policy Guide, DHCS provides a summary of the rationale for each set of refinements, as well as the finalized, updated service definition for each set of refinements. DHCS released this temporary excerpt to give MCPs time to enact necessary changes ahead of the July 1 go-live date.
Patricia Blaisdell
