Medi-Cal

About Medi-Cal

More than 15 million Californians rely on Medi-Cal, the state’s health care coverage safety net, for health insurance. Two-thirds of those on Medi-Cal are people of color and often live in communities with a lack of adequate health care providers. Without significant investments to support providers that deliver health care to California’s most vulnerable, millions living in rural and underserved areas are in jeopardy.

CHA Encourages Members to Participate in the Vitality Index Payer Scorecard

What’s happening: CHA is endorsing member participation in the Vitality Index Payer Scorecard, which will provide critical information to support CHA’s advocacy to hold insurers accountable for timely and accurate reimbursement.  

What else to know: The CHA Board of Trustees has endorsed this tool, which will automatically draw de-identified claims and remittance information from hospitals without requiring additional reporting or surveys.  

CHA Will Host Vitality Payer Scorecard Webinar

This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.

What’s happening: CHA is hosting a complimentary, members-only webinar on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. (PT) to highlight the American Hospital Association Vitality Payer Scorecard, which was recently endorsed by the CHA board.  

What else to know: The scorecard captures necessary and normalized data points without sharing protected health information. The automated process is based on de-identified claims and remittance files and eliminates the need for CHA surveys on this issue.  

CHA Fact Sheets Show New Behavioral Health Facilities Being Built

What’s happening: To help CHA members learn about new behavioral health facilities being constructed in communities around the state, CHA has created an online document that displays the funds awarded to build various types of facilities by county.  

What else to know: Close to $2 billion in state funds have been distributed throughout California during the past two years to build new behavioral health treatment locations that will serve Medi-Cal beneficiaries.  

CMS Updates Hospital Guidance for Texting Patient Info

What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated guidance for hospitals and critical access hospitals related to texting patient information.  

What else to know: Hospitals should use a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant secure texting platform that complies with Medicare and Medicaid conditions of participation.  

Changes Proposed for Accrediting Organizations Requirements

What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed changes to accrediting organization (AO) requirements.  

What else to know: The proposed changes are intended to strengthen the agency’s oversight of AOs and prevent conflicts of interest. Comments are due to CMS by 2 p.m. (PT) on April 15.  

DHCS Issues Letters to Recover Prior Year Overpayments for PHSF Program

What’s happening: The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued demand letters last week to nearly 125 private hospitals seeking to recover overspent funds distributed through the Private Hospital Supplemental Fund (PHSF) program.  

What else to know: DHCS wants to recover overspent funds from 2013-14 and 2020-21. The overpayments are due to DHCS by April 1.