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.
Medi-Cal is California’s version of the federal program known as Medicaid. To learn more about CHA’s work to protect Medicaid, visit our federal resource page.
DHCS Releases Private Hospital-Directed Payment Encounter Files
What’s happening: On March 14, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) uploaded three new hospital-directed payment encounter files, available via the Secure File Transfer Protocol site, that hospitals must download as soon as possible — they will be deleted within 45 days of the upload date.
New CHCF Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for Medi-Cal Across All Parties
What’s happening: On March 3, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) released a statewide poll that assesses attitudes about Medi-Cal and Covered California, and possible reductions to federal funding for both programs.
Hospitals: Now Is the Time to Speak Up About the Impact of Medicaid Cuts
What’s happening: As Congress works on a federal budget for 2026 that could result in devastating cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California), it is imperative that all hospital leaders let members of Congress know directly the impact these cuts will have on the people and communities they represent. One effective method is to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper or another relevant news outlet, as did Elaine Batchlor, MD, who serves as CEO of MLK Community Healthcare in Los Angeles and as a CHA board member.
As Federal Budget Talks Progress, New Resources Can Help Tell Hospitals’ Stories
As Congress deliberates on stopgap measures to fund the government for 2025, the House of Representatives has passed a budget resolution for 2026 calling for $2 trillion in spending cuts, including $880 billion to come from programs overseen by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which — in addition to energy, the environment, and other issues — oversees Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California).
Registration Opens for DHCS Birthing Care Pathway Webinar
What’s happening: On March 4, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is hosting a webinar from 3-4:30 p.m. (PT) to discuss the Birthing Care Pathway, a comprehensive policy and care model roadmap to address racial and ethnic disparities throughout the journey of pregnant and postpartum Medi-Cal members — from conception through 12 months postpartum. Registration is open.
What else to know: The goals of the roadmap are to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality and address these significant disparities in maternal health outcomes among Medi-Cal members who are Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander.
Issue Brief: All Californians Deserve Timely Access to Medical Care
Current California standards require health plans to ensure that their enrollees have timely access to medical care — such as being within 15 miles or a 30-minute drive from a hospital. Unfortunately, many people covered by Medi-Cal still face significant hurdles to access care.
Key Messages: All Californians Deserve Timely Access to Medical Care
California standards that ensure timely access to care for Medi-Cal enrollees will expire in less than a year.
Your Voice Is Needed Now to Alert Members of Congress to Threats to Medicare and Medicaid
New Resource Available on Assisted Living Waiver, CalAIM Community Supports
What’s happening: The California Health Care Foundation has issued an Explainer document that describes and compares two key Medi-Cal programs: the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) and Community Supports (a component of California’s Medi-Cal reform initiative, California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM)). What else to know: The document provides an overview of the ALW and the […]
CHA Publishes Resources to Support Hospitals’ Congressional Advocacy Efforts
What’s happening: CHA’s new federal resources can assist hospitals in their messaging to lawmakers on health policy options circulating in Washington, D.C. What else to know: The resources cover financial instability, rural hospital care, site-neutral policies, disproportionate share hospital payment cuts, and the 340B drug pricing program.