Medicaid

February 18, 2020

Briefing: Behavioral Health Integration in Medi-Cal

Behavioral Health

February 18, 2020

Join this CHCF briefing to learn about efforts to integrate physical and behavioral health care in Medicaid programs across the country and within Medi-Cal in California.

Newsom Budget Proposal Signals Health Care Priorities

January 17, 2020

Xenia Shih Bion

Health Care Costs, Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Five key health care items in the governor's proposed budget tackle important problems, including homelessness, affordability, and behavioral health capacity.

Inland Empire’s McNaughton Feels a ‘Sacred Calling’ to Connect People with Care

January 10, 2020

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Workforce, Payment & Financing, Health Care Costs

The Inland Empire Health Plan's new CEO is continuing the trailblazing path that Californians have come to expect from the large and influential managed care plan.

Reducing Mental Health Disparities with Community Support in Solano County

December 20, 2019

Heather Stringer

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

How a California county figured out how to ease access disparities in its Latino, Filipino, and LGBTQ communities.

Governor Names Sandra R. Hernández to Healthy California for All Commission

December 18, 2019

Today Governor Gavin Newsom appointed CHCF's Sandra R. Hernández to the Healthy California for All Commission. The Commission is charged with developing a plan to help California achieve a health care delivery system that provides coverage and access through a unified financing system, including — but not limited to — a single-payer financing system for all Californians.

Health Affairs’ Rural Health Issue Has Special Relevance to California

December 9, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Maternal Health, Workforce

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Millions of Americans in rural areas face significant barriers to care and in almost every state are burdened with higher mortality rates than people in urban areas.

Health Care System Accepting New Math: Housing = Health

November 18, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Health Care Costs

Stories That Caught Our Attention: The nation's largest health insurer is trying a new strategy -- improving care for Medicaid enrollees with complex medical problems by providing social assistance, including housing.

Five Victories for Public Health: Courts Enjoin the Public Charge Rule

October 22, 2019

Wendy E. Parmet

Coverage Trends

Five federal district courts have issued preliminary injunctions against the Trump administration’s public charge rule. The actions blocked a policy expected to reduce immigrants’ access to health care, burden safety-net providers, and jeopardize public health in immigrant communities.

Medi-Cal Waivers and State Plan Amendments

Two short documents provide an overview of Medicaid waivers and State Plan Amendments, and how they are used in California. A one-page comparison chart shows the differences between these two policy instruments.

Voluntary Behavioral Health Integration in Medi-Cal: What Can Be Achieved Under Current Law

Anil Shankar, Diane Ung

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

This paper was prepared by two attorneys with extensive experience in structuring Medicaid financing for safety-net providers. It explores different contracting structures through which a county could lead efforts to create opportunities for integration of physical and behavioral health care.

White House Requires Immigrants to Purchase Health Insurance

October 11, 2019

Billy Wynne, Dawn Joyce

Expanding Health Coverage, Coverage Trends

The government sets another policy that will diminish immigrant communities’ access to health care and other essential services.

Researchers Call for Quality-Improvement Changes in Medi-Cal Plans

October 7, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Shifting to value-based payments could encourage Medi-Cal managed care plans to meet or exceed quality metrics.

White House Puts National Spotlight on California Homelessness

September 23, 2019

Xenia Shih Bion

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal, Homelessness & Health Care

Stories That Caught Our Attention: President Trump's new interest in California’s homelessness crisis has state officials questioning why White House proposals neglect key drivers of the problem.

Roundtables Highlight Common Tech Challenges Facing Medicaid Programs

September 6, 2019

Melissa Buckley

The innovation opportunity in California and across the nation is huge, with one in five Americans enrolled in a state Medicaid program.

September 23, 2019

Briefing — An Introduction to California’s Public Mental Health System

Behavioral Health

September 23, 2019

At this CHCF briefing participants learned the fundamentals of the history and financing of the mental health system for people insured through Medi-Cal.