DHCS Stakeholder News - September 23, 2022
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is providing this update of significant developments regarding DHCS programs.
Top News
Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility – Final Rule to Take Effect December 23, 2022
On September 9, the United States Department of Homeland Security published the
final rule for public charge determinations and the use of public benefits. The final rule takes effect on December 23, 2022; it restores previous policies—including the exclusion of Medi-Cal when determining the use of public benefits, with the exception of long-term institutionalized care. An updated
Public Charge Guide has been posted on the
California Health and Human Services Agency website to serve as a resource for individuals and families with questions about the current federal public charge policy.
Program Updates
Federal Partners Approve Supplemental Payment Program for Non-Hospital 340B Clinics
On September 15, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved
SPA 21-0015 regarding the 340B Federally Qualified Health Centers, the Rural Health Clinics, and the Tribal Supplemental Payment Program. The purpose of the Supplemental Payment Program is to secure, strengthen, and support the community clinic and health center delivery system for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The program is effective retroactively from January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. This approval does not include non-hospital 340B community clinics; DHCS continues to work with CMS to secure approval for those facilities.
Implementation of Telehealth Policy
Per Senate Bill 184 (Chapter 47, Statutes of 2022), DHCS is implementing telehealth policies that preserve many of the flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. DHCS will conduct targeted outreach and request partner feedback on the implementation of specific telehealth policies. DHCS will also provide an opportunity for members who participated in the Telehealth Advisory Workgroup, as well as the public, to submit written feedback on telehealth policy implementation.
In October, DHCS will reach out to a small group of provider and consumer stakeholders for initial feedback on DHCS' development of model patient consent language for telehealth. Members who participated in the Telehealth Advisory Workgroup and the public may also submit written comments before the language is finalized.
For questions or comments, please email Medi-Cal_Telehealth@dhcs.ca.gov.
Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP) Update
On September 6, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 179 (Chapter 249, Statutes of 2022), which extends the HACCP eligible age limit to under 21 years of age, and allows other health coverage to be accepted when there is a coverage limit of $1,500 or less per year for hearing aids. The HACCP offers hearing aid coverage to children who do not qualify for Medi-Cal or have insufficient health insurance coverage for hearing aids and related services. For more information, visit the HACCP webpage.
Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) Enhancements for Dental Providers
DHCS has enhanced the PAVE portal to simplify and accelerate the Medi-Cal enrollment processes for dental providers. Effective October 31, dental providers will be able to electronically submit enrollment applications and required documentation to DHCS through PAVE. Paper applications will no longer be accepted if postmarked after October 31. For more information, visit the PAVE webpage.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)
Effective October 1, specific therapeutic and non-therapeutic CGM Systems will be pharmacy-billed medical supply benefits through Medi-Cal Rx. A provider bulletin was issued with details.
COVID-19 Therapeutic “Test to Treat" Equity Grant – Due September 30
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has established the COVID-19 Therapeutics Equity Grant Program to help safety net providers, including Medi-Cal providers, efficiently connect patients who test positive for COVID-19 with therapeutic treatment to decrease related morbidity and mortality. CDPH has allocated up to $59 million to this “Test to Treat" grant program, which over the next 10 months will support providers in operationalizing access to clinically appropriate COVID-19 therapeutics in a timely manner with a focus on three key expedited elements of COVID-19 assessment and treatment: testing, prescribing and therapeutics. Grants range from $50,000 to $1 million, and the deadline for applying is September 30. Additional information is available on the Physicians for a Healthy California website.
Join Our Team
DHCS is hiring! We are currently searching for two mission-driven, motivated executives to serve as the
Pharmacy Benefits Division Chief and
Assistant Deputy Director for Health Care Financing. For additional information about these positions, please contact
Recruit@dhcs.ca.gov.
DHCS is comprised of a dynamic team dedicated to preserving and improving the overall health and well-being of all Californians, and DHCS' mission is to provide the most vulnerable residents with access to affordable, integrated, high-quality, equitable health care.
For more opportunities to join the DHCS team—including fiscal, human resources, attorney, auditor, health, information technology, peace officer, and other professionals—please visit the CalCareers website.
Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings and Webinars
Dementia Care Aware Webinar
On September 27, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., DHCS and UCSF will co-host the second virtual Dementia Care Aware webinar (register in advance), “The Impact of Early Detection in Primary Care“.
HACCP Provider Webinar Sessions
DHCS will host two webinar sessions to educate providers about how to help pediatric patients and their families maximize the HACCP benefit. Each training session will address program requirements and explain how families can apply for coverage, and a claims submission process for audiologists, otolaryngologists, other physicians, and their office staff.
HACCP Provider Webinar Sessions
Smile, California Campaign for Medi-Cal Dental Services
DHCS will hold two Facebook Live member presentations this month. The
English presentation is scheduled for September 28 at 1 p.m., and the
Spanish presentation is scheduled for September 30 at 1 p.m.
The Back-Tooth-School (BTS) promotion launched on September 19, with new BTS homepage banners published in English and Spanish on
SmileCalifornia.org and
SonrieCalifornia.org. In addition, BTS materials and resources will be shared with partner organizations to share with their audiences. Lastly, Smile, California has partnered with the California Department of Education to co-host a one-hour BTS webinar (advance registration required) on September 28, at 10:30 a.m. This webinar was initially scheduled for September 21, but was rescheduled to allow additional outreach to boost attendance.
As of September 13, the Smile, California website has received nearly 1.3 million visits from over 861,000 unique users, more than 663,000 clicks to the “Find a Dentist" button, and over 160,000 downloads since the campaign launched in October 2018.
CalAIM Population Health Management (PHM) Advisory Group
On September 29, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., DHCS will virtually host the next PHM Advisory Group meeting (advance registration required). DHCS established the group to provide input to support the design and implementation of the
PHM Program and Service. The meetings are open to the public, and meeting information and materials will be available on the
CalAIM PHM webpage.
The September meeting will focus on an overview of Risk Stratification, Segmentation and Tiering (RSST), an update on the development of the RSST approach and advisory bodies, as well as a presentation of the proposed PHM Service by the vendor selected for the PHM Service contract. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit questions in advance of the webinar to CalAIM@dhcs.ca.gov.
CalAIM Office Hours: Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports Implementation in Rural Counties
On September 29, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., DHCS will virtually host an “Office Hours" discussion on CalAIM ECM and Community Supports implementation in rural counties (advance registration required). Participants are invited to submit questions by September 26 to CalAIMECMILOS@dhcs.ca.gov. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions during the session.
Doula Stakeholder Meeting
On September 30, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., DHCS will host a virtual public stakeholder workgroup meeting about adding doula services as a covered Medi-Cal benefit, effective January 1, 2023. DHCS is engaging workgroup members on policy development details that will be reflected in the Medi-Cal provider manual and other policy guidance documents. All interested stakeholders may listen to the workgroup discussion on stakeholder feedback and provide input via email to DoulaBenefit@dhcs.ca.gov. DHCS will also share an update on the status of formally submitting the SPA to CMS in October. The link to join the webinar is available on the doula webpage.
Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) Webinar
On September 30, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., DHCS will host a webinar to introduce stakeholders to the new FQHC APM, targeted for implementation no sooner than January 1, 2024. DHCS will present information about the APM and answer stakeholder questions. Questions can be sent in advance to FQHCAPM@dhcs.ca.gov. Please join the webinar at the scheduled start time.
Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) Meetings
On October 3, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., DHCS, in collaboration with the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), will virtually host the
first public workgroup meeting (advance registration required) to inform the development of the statewide all-payer fee schedule for school-based behavioral health services under the CYBHI. DHCS and DMHC will engage workgroup members on a variety of policy and operational topics to inform the development and refinement of the program design.
On October 6, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., DHCS will virtually host the
fourth public workgroup meeting (advance registration required) to identify evidence-based and community-defined evidence practices for the CYBHI. The Evidence-Based Practice and Community-Defined Evidence Practice (EBP/CDEP) Workgroup is tasked with providing input and guidance to DHCS on the selection of EBPs and CDEPs to improve outcomes for children and youth with or at high risk for behavioral health conditions. The EBP/CDEP Workgroup will be one of multiple sources of input used to inform program design and implementation.
PAVE Dental Provider Webinar
On October 12, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., DHCS will host the second of a two-part introduction to PAVE for dental providers. The online demonstration, Basic Functions in PAVE (advance registration required), will further demonstrate how to complete an application in PAVE, access accounts, and communicate with DHCS. For questions or comments, please email PAVE@dhcs.ca.gov.
