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.

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.

CHA Outlines Year-End Federal Legislative Health Care Priorities

What’s happening: In a Nov. 18 letter to the California congressional delegation, CHA outlined legislative priorities for the remainder of the 118th Congress — which must act by Dec. 20 to fund the federal government.  

What else to know: It is likely that some health care extensions and policies could be a part of Congress’ funding package. 

CHA Presses for Elimination of Medicaid DSH Payment Reductions

What’s happening: On Nov. 13, CHA issued an alert urging hospital leaders to ask their U.S. representative to sign on to a bipartisan letter requesting House leadership to stop the pending Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment cuts. Hospital leaders should contact their representatives to sign the bipartisan letter before the Dec. 6 deadline.  

What else to know: CHA — along with our partners representing California’s public, private, children’s, and community safety-net hospitals — sent a letter asking the California congressional delegation to both join the letter and, once again, eliminate the reduction in Medicaid DSH allotments.  

CMS Guidance Clarifies Hospital Respiratory Illness Data Reporting Requirements Effective Nov. 1

What’s happening: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance to hospitals and state surveyors that underscores the importance of following reporting requirements for new hospital respiratory illness data reporting conditions of participation (CoP). 

What else to know: CMS also clarifies in the guidance that psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation hospitals will report their daily COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus data annually rather than weekly. 

California Reaches $55 Million Settlement Agreement with L.A. Care Health Plan

What’s happening: On Oct. 8, California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) officials announced they have reached settlement agreements with the largest Medi-Cal plan in the state. 

What else to know: The two agreements with the Local Initiative Health Authority for Los Angeles County (L.A. Care Health Plan) — a $35 million settlement with the DMHC and a $20 million settlement with the DHCS — require that L.A. Care Health Plan improve its operations to ensure timely access to medically necessary health care services for all plan members, among other actions.  

Prop 35 Campaign Releases Hospital-Specific Social Media Toolkit

What’s happening: The election is 24 days away, and every vote is critical — help spread the word to vote yes on Proposition (Prop) 35 with the new Prop 35 Social Media Toolkit for Hospitals.  

What else to know: Hospitals that aren’t yet members of the coalition supporting Prop 35 — which would make permanent an existing fee on managed care organizations that enables the state to draw on federal matching funds to improve Medi-Cal — can still join.  

Ask Reps. to Sign Letter Opposing 340B Program Changes

What’s happening: A bipartisan group of U.S. representatives is leading a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra about efforts by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to undermine the 340B Drug Discount Program.   

What else to know: Hospital leaders should call or email their U.S. representative and urge them to sign on to the letter by Sept. 27.