CalAIM Stakeholder Update

CalAIM is a multi year project by CA Dept. of Health Care Services (DHCS) to improve and innovate the Medi-Cal Program.

CalAIM has three primary goals:

1. Identify and manage member risk and need through Whole Person Care approaches and addressing Social Determinants of Health; 
2. Move Medi-Cal to a more consistent and seamless system by reducing complexity and increasing flexibility; and
3. Improve quality outcomes and drive delivery system transformation through value-based initiatives, modernization of systems and payment reform.

See the formal invitation from DHCS below. HCC will continue to monitor this project, as well.

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California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is a multi-year initiative by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of our population by implementing broad delivery system, program, and payment reforms across the Medi-Cal program. Due to the comprehensive scope of the CalAIM initiative, stakeholder engagement is critical during the current planning and policy development phase. Below is a summary of ways in which stakeholders can engage with CalAIM.

Submit Comments via Email. The CalAIM proposal was released on October 28, 2019. In order to incorporate comments into future CalAIM workgroups and engage in early discussions with stakeholders, DHCS is soliciting comments by December 16, 2019. Although DHCS will continue to accept comments until February 29, 2020, comments received after the December 16 deadline may not be incorporated into CalAIM workgroup discussions. Comments on the proposal can be submitted to CalAIM@dhcs.ca.gov.

Engage in CalAIM Workgroup Meetings. DHCS has established five topic-specific stakeholder workgroups to further explore specific sections of the CalAIM proposal. The workgroups are meeting between November 2019 and February 2020. Please visit the CalAIM webpage to review the workgroup schedules, access materials, and learn how to attend a workgroup meeting in-person or via phone. Each meeting includes a public comment period for in-person attendees. Written comments can also be submitted to CalAIM@dhcs.ca.gov up to seven calendar days following each meeting. This will allow DHCS to consider comments when planning for future workgroup meetings.

Attend DHCS Stakeholder Meetings. While the majority of CalAIM issues will be discussed through the CalAIM workgroups, some will be presented for discussion during the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC), Behavioral Health Stakeholder Advisory Committee (BH-SAC), and other DHCS sponsored stakeholder meetings. Stakeholders are welcome to attend SAC, BH-SAC, and other stakeholder meetings in-person or via phone. Each meeting includes a public comment period for in-person attendees.

Subscribe to Receive Email Updates. In November 2019, DHCS kicked off a CalAIM newsletter to alert stakeholders about important announcements and to highlight upcoming stakeholder events focused on CalAIM. You can subscribe to DHCS’ stakeholder email service to receive CalAIM updates.

Visit the CalAIM Website. The CalAIM page on the DHCS website serves as a one-stop shop for information and materials regarding CalAIM. The website is updated on a real-time basis, so check back often for the latest developments, including information about CalAIM workgroup meetings.