Medi-Cal - California Health Care Foundation

Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is the state’s health insurance program for Californians with low incomes, including over 40% of all children, half of those with disabilities, over a million seniors, and one in five workers. CHCF reports provide data and analysis on how well Medi-Cal is serving Californians.

New Rules to Let Inmates Enroll in Medi-Cal Before They Leave Prison or Jail

January 11, 2023

Medi-Cal, Health Equity

Although jail and prison inmates are eligible for Medi-Cal after release, they often have long waits before health services begin. The change is expected to improve care and reduce expensive emergency room visits.

Community-Based Organizations to Join Reimagined California Improvement Network

January 9, 2023

Kathryn Phillips

Equity is at the center of future quality improvement work in California. Learn about the community-based organizations joining CIN as peers and partners in 2023.

Reflections on CalAIM’s First Year

January 9, 2023

Medi-Cal, Health Equity, Behavioral Health, Data Exchange, Homelessness & Health Care

A review of what CalAIM has already undertaken and a look over the horizon at what is still to come.

How a Managed Care Plan Helped a Young Man Move Out of a Nursing Home

December 13, 2022

J. Duncan Moore Jr.

Effective January 1, Medi-Cal policy and payment changes under CalAIM will make it easier for long-term nursing home patients to transition to settings in the community.

Creating Robust Provider Networks to Support Older Adults and People with Disabilities

December 12, 2022

Torshira Moffett, Carrie Graham

Medi-Cal, Older Adults with Complex Needs

Experts share strategies for Medicaid agencies to meet the health and social needs of these populations by partnering with community-based organizations, institutional long-term care facilities, and Medicare providers.

State Data Exchange Framework Could Be a Game Changer If Local Agencies Get Support

November 15, 2022

Data Exchange, Medi-Cal

The project is an ambitious effort to expand access and the sharing of health information across antiquated and siloed information systems used by medical, behavioral health, and social services providers.

Navigators / Navegadores Connect a California Immigrant Community to Medi-Cal

November 8, 2022

Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Experts counsel community members, including those reluctant to provide their ID cards or personal information needed to apply for Medi-Cal coverage.

Finally, an Effective Treatment for Methamphetamine Addiction

October 25, 2022

Behavioral Health, Medi-Cal

A new Medi-Cal program uses psychology principles to incentivize stimulant users to stay sober.

Presumptive Eligibility: Creating a Pathway to Ongoing Medi-Cal Coverage

Two studies point to opportunities for California to enhance presumptive eligibility and hospital presumptive eligibility so that both processes become pathways to ongoing Medi-Cal coverage.

California Bets Big on Housing in Medicaid

September 27, 2022

Steven Birenbaum

Medi-Cal, Homelessness & Health Care

A new episode of the health policy podcast Tradeoffs sheds light on CalAIM’s origin story through the experiences of Medi-Cal’s director, Jacey Cooper.

Advancing Health Equity: A Recommended Health Equity Framework for Accountability in Medicaid

National Committee for Quality Assurance

Health Equity, Medi-Cal

With support from CHCF, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) developed a health equity measurement framework that state Medicaid programs can use to measure accountability in health plan managed care contracting.

Six Things to Watch For Now That Medi-Cal Has Picked Commercial Managed Care Plans

September 8, 2022

Christopher Perrone

Health Equity, Medi-Cal

Continued investment and sound implementation will lead to higher quality care for millions of Medi-Cal enrollees — and progress toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes.

CalAIM: Community-Based Organizations Poised to Partner with Medi-Cal

August 24, 2022

Heather Stringer

State initiative is designed to improve individuals’ health outcomes by covering services outside the walls of hospitals and community clinics.

The Role of Community-Based Organization Networks in CalAIM: Seven Key Considerations

Anna Spencer, Isabel Clemente

This report outlines seven considerations for potentially using networks of community-based organizations to meet the ambitious objectives of the CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) initiative.

The Big Health Care Wins in California’s State Budget

Medi-Cal, Expanding Health Coverage, Workforce, Health Care Costs, Data Exchange

California’s 2022–23 state budget represents one of the most significant investments in health care in a generation.