Key Takeaways
- Participants strongly expressed a need to transition CalAIM from a demonstration waiver to a permanent fixture of the Medi-Cal system.
- Implementers want the California Department of Health Care Services to establish statewide standards for assessments, data reporting, and eligibility criteria.
- Implementers prioritized the development of technical assistance programs to ensure resources for technology implementation are distributed equitably.
In November 2025 a diverse group of professionals involved in implementing CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi‑Cal) gathered to discuss current promising practices and strategies for building a stronger program.
More than 90 representatives — implementers — from managed care plans, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations, and community care hubs were selected to join this meeting on the basis of their ideas about the program and the lived experience they bring to their work.
This perspective from the field highlights how the lived experiences of CalAIM’s implementers impact their work, which practices are working well, and what they recommend to strengthen the program.
