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 Managed Care Plans Receive Private Hospital Directed Payment Funding 

What’s happening: During the week of Feb. 26, Medi-Cal managed care plans received the funds related to Hospital Fee Program 7, Private Hospital Directed Payment (PHDP) Cycle 1. In January, hospitals and Medi-Cal managed care plans also received their payment schedules, which detail the amount each health plan is directed to pay and to which hospitals. 

What else to know: Health plans are required to make these payments to hospitals within 30 days of receipt of the funds. Hospitals that have not yet received their PHDP funds should reach out to their health plans for a status update. Hospitals that still have not received the PHDP funding by the end of March should contact Robert Ducay, vice president, policy, at rducay@calhospital.org. 

DHCS Scheduled to Release Medi-Cal Managed Care Utilization Data to Health Plans and Hospitals

What’s happening: On March 8, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released the latest round of Medi-Cal managed care utilization data to hospitals and health plans. These data are used to determine the amount of funding each hospital will receive in the Private Hospital Directed Payment Program.   

What else to know: Hospitals should download their data from the DHCS secure site as soon as possible because uploaded files will be deleted within 45 days. Hospitals should compare these data to their own utilization records and work with their contracted Medi-Cal managed care plans to reconcile any differences in order to get full credit and payment for contracted services provided during the program period. Medi-Cal managed care plans have approximately five weeks to return the data to DHCS. The uploaded files cover the following service periods: 

CHA Participates in DHCS Population Health Management Summit

What’s happening: CHA recently participated in the Population Health Management Transitional Care Services Summit hosted by the Department of Health Care Services. 

What else to know: The summit provided an opportunity for Medi-Cal Managed Care leaders to provide updates on the implementation of transitional care services and share best practices. Several panels included representatives from CHA member hospitals, including Watsonville Community Hospital, Dignity Health, and the University of California, San Francisco.

Area Wage Index Litigation

This page contains important, members-only information related to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ recently finalized area wage index policy. To continue, please log in to your member account. 

Federal Medicaid Proposed Regulations Webinar

CHA is hosting a webinar featuring Chad Mulvany, Vice President of Federal Policy, and Robert Ducay, Vice President of Policy. Both experts will discuss their insights and potential impacts related to these proposals. They will answer any questions you have about these proposed rules. 

FEMA Region 9/CalOES Reimbursement Update

Comments on the proposed rule are due to CMS by June 9. Join CHA’s Megan Howard and Chad Mulvany as they provide a summary of the proposed rule implications on your organization and how you can share your concerns on the impending changes.