On Wednesday, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for its commercial Medi-Cal managed care plan (MCP) contracts. DHCS is seeking MCPs committed and able to advance equity, quality, access, accountability, and transparency to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for Californians. While the release RFP is…
Read More »The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recently released a proposal to enter into a direct contract with Kaiser Permanente as a Medi-Cal managed care plan within new geographic regions of the state, effective January 1, 2024, for a five-year contract term with potential contract extensions. Under the new proposed contract, subject to federal…
Read More »The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) late last week released its Telehealth Policy Proposal for the post-public health emergency period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AB 133 (Chapter 142, Statutes of 2021) required DHCS to convene an advisory group to provide recommendations to DHCS in establishing and adoption billing/coding and utilization management protocols…
Read More »The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) California Technical Assistance Center (COHTAC) recently published the Tobacco Cessation Toolkit for California Dental Providers. The toolkit was created in partnership with the San Joaquin County Public Health Services Smoking & Tobacco Outreach and Prevention Program (STOPP) and Local Oral Health Program and the California Department of Public…
Read More »The Newsom Administration recently announced a series of actions related to homelessness and housing. Below, we highlight these actions: Homekey Awards Issued to More Jurisdictions Governor Gavin Newsom this month announced additional awards for new Homekey projects to provide housing units to people exiting homelessness. Homekey, launched in 2020, seeks to provide more permanent housing…
Read More »This week, two notable departures from the Newsom Administration were announced. Below, we highlight these announcements: Burke-Harris to Step Down as California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, California’s first Surgeon General, announced on Tuesday she is resigning her position. Burke-Harris began her role as the state’s inaugural Surgeon General in February 2019. Her last day…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom this week named 16 members to the Governor’s Advisory on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being. The Council is tasked with exploring strategies to promote health and wellness among Californians of all ages and is led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Ronnie Lott. The Council…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week released a new webpage and suite of materials for health care professionals as part of the “Hear Her” campaign which aims to reduce pregnancy-related deaths. Over 700 women die every year due to pregnancy-related complications, and two in three deaths are preventable. According to…
Read More »U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced this week the formation of the HHS Task Force to Prevention Human Trafficking. The Task Force will facilitate implementation of priority actions detailed in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, as well as strengthen HHS’ human trafficking prevention and intervention efforts…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced updates to school nutrition standards providing a path forward for schools to transition from current pandemic operations toward more nutritious school meals. Specifically, the USDA issued transitional standards that will begin in school year 2022-23 and run through school year 2023-24. In 2022, USDA will continue to…
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