The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on Wednesday announced via email it is postponing its California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) proposal implementation timelines in order to allow for the continued response to COVID-19. DHCS further indicated it plans to engage stakeholders and the federal government in both an extension of the existing Section…
Read More »Late last week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) requested from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) additional Section 1135 Waiver flexibilities amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Recall last month, DHCS requested from CMS and was approved for flexibilities in key areas, including prior authorization eligibility, telehealth, service authorizations, administrative timelines, and…
Read More »The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recently issued its bimonthly update of important events and actions at the Department. The April 2020 Stakeholder Update includes information on COVID-19-related activities, various program updates, and upcoming stakeholder meetings and webinars. The April 2020 update is available here.
Read More »Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a series of executive orders within the past week. Below, these orders are detailed: Telehealth Services Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-43-20 on Friday, April 3, relaxing specified state privacy and security laws for medical providers so they can provide telehealth services without the risk of…
Read More »We are pleased to announce that the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency – Public Health Branch was awarded accreditation status by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) on March 17th. Shasta County becomes the 17th local health department awarded PHAB recognition in California, in addition to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)….
Read More »Over this past week, Governor Gavin Newsom continued to issue several executive orders in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These orders are detailed below: Judicial Council Emergency Authority On Friday, March 27, Newsom issued Executive Order N-38-20 expanding the emergency authority of the California Judicial Branch. The order allows the Judicial Council and the…
Read More »Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of Project Roomkey, an initiative to isolate and shelter certain individuals experiencing homelessness amid the ongoing COVID-19 emergency. In an attempt to protect vulnerable populations from COVID-19, Governor Newsom indicated California is the first state in the U.S. to secure FEMA approval to procure hotels and motels for…
Read More »Today, Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee, along with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Director Dr. Bradley Gilbert and State Medicaid Director Jacey Cooper, announced a special enrollment period for health insurance coverage amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Effective today, Friday, March 20, Californians who meet eligibility requirements and are without health insurance are…
Read More »Today, Sunday, March 15, Governor Newsom held a press conference to provide updates regarding COVID-19 cases throughout the state and additional actions he is pursuing. In his update, he indicated a total of 335 positive cases and 6 deaths in California and just over 8,000 tests conducted to date. He announced plans to expand testing…
Read More »On Thursday, the Governor issued Executive Order N-25-20 to further support COVID-19 response activities. The Governor’s executive order: Waives the one-week waiting period for people to apply for unemployment or disability insurance as a result of COVID-19. Delays the deadline for filing state taxes for individuals and business by 60 days for those unable to…
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