DHCS Stakeholder News Update - May 17, 2022​

Dear Stakeholders,

On May 17, 2022, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released the Medi-Cal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Operational Unwinding Plan. The two primary purposes of this document are to: 1) describe DHCS' approach to unwinding or making permanent temporarily flexibilities implemented across the Medi-Cal program during the PHE; and 2) describe DHCS' approach to resuming normal Medi-Cal eligibility operations following the end of the PHE. The PHE is currently set to expire on July 15, 2022, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed to providing at least a 60-day notice prior to the official end date. As HHS has not yet provided such notice, DHCS expects the PHE to be extended for at least one additional period.

Since the initiation of the PHE, DHCS implemented over 100 programmatic flexibilities to help minimize the strain to the Medi-Cal program and its beneficiaries, and California's health care providers and systems. While many of these programmatic flexibilities will terminate on or around the end of the PHE, some will continue due to the positive impact they have left on the Medi-Cal program. Additionally, under the continuous coverage requirement in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), states are required to maintain enrollment of nearly all Medicaid enrollees through the end of the month in which the PHE ends. When continuous coverage requirements expire, states will need to conduct a full redetermination for all beneficiaries who would have otherwise been subject to redetermination.

Again, the Operational Unwinding Plan is intended to inform the public of DHCS' approach to return Medi-Cal to a normal state of operation, through this challenging transitional period. The document also includes additional resources, including information on the DHCS Coverage Ambassadors campaign, and links to CMS guidance documents.