Waiver Webinar
DHCS conducted a webinar last week on Medi-Cal 2020, the recently-negotiated 1115 waiver. The webinar slides, which include a general overview of the Public Hospital Redesign and Incentives in Medi-Cal (PRIME) program (other components of the waiver are not specific to district/municipal hospitals) are available under DHLF initiatives. The information may be useful for your use with some of your internal/external audiences that are not as familiar with this program as you are.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee
The DHLF has recently been appointed to DHCS’ Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC). The purpose of the SAC is to provide DHCS with valuable input on ongoing Waiver implementation efforts as well as help DHCS successfully implement other Medi-Cal initiatives. SAC members are recognized stakeholders/experts in their fields, including but not limited to, beneficiary advocacy organizations, and representatives of various Medi-Cal provider groups. While not previously a member, DHLF staff has always participated in these meetings. Updates of DHCS and SAC activities will be provided periodically to DHLF membership.
Malnutrition as a Component of PRIME Care Transition Projects
Thank you to those that attended the malnutrition webinar in December. As your hospital develops its program goals for the waiver, Abbott and the Alliance would like to extend their assistance in developing a malnutrition project for submission as a component of the transitions of care project if that is a project you are working on.. As outlined in the waiver, with some fairly straightforward changes in patient interaction, they have seen incredible improvement in patient health. Please let me know ASAP if your hospital is interested in including this project in your waiver submission and we will connect you with the Abbott team.
PRIME
We hope you are continuing to work on identifying projects for the PRIME program. As previously reported to you, estimated submission of plans is April 1. We will have a robust discussion of PRIME at our upcoming DHLF Board meeting in Sacramento on February 3. Both the DHCS Medical Director and the state Medicaid Director plan to attend the meeting. The draft agenda is attached.
DHLF Schedule
The DHLF Board meets this week in Sacramento on February 3 (you all should have the outlook invitation). If your plans for attending have changed (either way), please let me know for logistical purposes. We are looking forward to a full agenda (a draft agenda is attached).
The meeting originally scheduled for May 12 has been moved to May 17 to accommodate schedules and the release of the state budget “May Revise.” The May 17 meeting will be in the morning and the afternoon will be devoted to legislative visits. It is important that we have as many members as possible participate in the Legislative Day as state legislators were critical to ensuring district/municipal public hospitals’ (DMPH) participation in PRIME and other important issues may well shake out by May. Subsequent 2016 meetings are August 10 and November 8.
The DHLF will be in Washington D.C. March 22 and 23 to advocate on federal issues, notably opposing onerous provisions of the proposed Medicaid managed care rule (which could eliminate all rate range supplemental funds via Medi-Cal managed care plans). If you are able to join us, please let me know so we can ensure visits are scheduled with your Congressional representatives. It is important to have a broad representation of members on this advocacy trip.
If you have any questions on the above, please let me know. We hope to see you Wednesday in Sacramento.
