CHCF and the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California presented a three-webinar series on “Driving Improvement in Palliative Care in Medi-Cal (SB 1004)” on April 7, 2020. This multipart event was in lieu of a planned statewide, in-person convening canceled due to coronavirus. Recordings and slides for each of the webinars can be found below.

1. SB 1004 Palliative Care Implementation: Updates on Who Is Being Served and How (45 min.)

What did implementation of SB 1004 palliative care look like in year two? Based on survey responses from Medi-Cal managed care plans and contracted SB 1004 palliative care providers, this webinar focused on plan and provider organizational characteristics, the number of individuals referred and served, the care models used to deliver SB 1004 palliative care, as well as contracting and payment issues.

2. SB 1004 Palliative Care Implementation: Looking Ahead (45 min.)

How are SB 1004 palliative care services likely to evolve? Based on survey responses from Medi-Cal managed care plans and contracted SB 1004 palliative care providers, this webinar focused on program sustainability, planned program enhancements for 2020, self-perceptions of strengths and challenges, as well as collaboration practices and opportunities.

3. Examining Quality in SB 1004 Palliative Care (1 hr.)

What can we learn about the SB 1004 palliative care recipients and services, and how can that inform efforts to assess and improve quality? Based on an analysis of data on over 1,000 SB 1004 palliative care patients from the Palliative Care Quality Network, this webinar described information about the characteristics of the SB 1004 palliative care population (such as age, primary diagnosis, symptom burden), processes of care (such as number of consultations, team members involved in consultations, which issues were identified and addressed), and treatment outcomes (such as changes in symptom scores, level of distress, and patient-reported quality of life).