Medi-Cal Explained: A CHCF Resource
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THE CHCF WEEKLY
May 18, 2022
Medi-Cal is an essential source of coverage for Californians with low incomes, including children, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers who may not get affordable health insurance through their jobs. For seniors with low incomes, Medi-Cal covers what is not covered by Medicare, including nursing home care.
In 2019, CHCF launched Medi-Cal Explained, an ongoing series that describes how this important program provides coverage and care for one in three Californians. CHCF has added resources to this collection over the last three years.
Recently, two new briefs were released, both addressing payment to health centers: Medi-Cal Explained: How Health Centers Are Paid and Medi-Cal Explained: What Are Alternative Payment Models?
These two papers are part of a dozen resources that can be found in CHCF’s Medi-Cal Explained collection.
From the Blog
Brian Rinker Laudio aims to help managers reduce high turnover rates among nurses and other frontline health care workers — a longstanding problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Ana Ibarra Gaps in COVID-19 vaccination rates among the state’s Medi-Cal population persist. Five Medi-Cal plans still have vaccination rates under 50%. |
Recent Release
CalHHS is building a data sharing agreement that defines the essential requirements and expectations that will meet California's unique needs for statewide data exchange. This third installment in the Data Exchange Explainer series explores common provisions, critical considerations in the context of AB 133, and potential contract models.
Upcoming Partner Event
In this webinar on Wednesday, May 25, 10-11 AM (PT), reporter Letitia Stein will show how data analysis and exhaustive reporting revealed a pattern of unnecessary deaths that compounded the COVID-19 pandemic’s brutal toll in nursing homes.
Stories That Caught Our Attention
- How the Bay Area Kept Its Death Rate Low (Mercury-News/East Bay Times)
A new analysis pinpoints the powerful roles played by health rules and vaccines. Related: Battle-scarred public health officers made deeply personal sacrifices to steer us to safety, according to journalist's report carried by The CHCF Blog.
- Podcast: Too Healthy for the Hospital, Too Sick for the Streets (Tradeoffs)
More private insurance companies are investing in medical respite care to assist people experiencing homelessness. Related: CHCF and the National Institute for Medical Respite Care share best practices to expand these programs in California.
- "If I Get Something From You I Could Die:" Some Immunocompromised Cal State Students Feel Left Behind as COVID-19 Safeguards Loosen (CalMatters)
They can’t afford to take off their masks: Immunocompromised students and campus staff are highly susceptible to COVID-19, and with mask mandates dropping, some believe their schools don’t value their safety.
- Meatpackers Hyped "Baseless" Shortage to Keep Plants Open Amid Covid (Washington Post)
A House panel alleges that Tyson and other meat processors heavily influenced the Trump administration’s executive order that compelled plants to keep operating. Related: This article posted on The CHCF Blog reported that essential workers who continued working on the front lines of the pandemic did not receive adequate protection or relief.
- The Baby Formula Shortage Is an Outrage. A Sane Country Would Fix It. (Washington Post)
Babies and their well-being have never been much of a priority in the United States. But an alarming shortage of infant formula — and the lack of a national mobilization to keep babies fed — provides a new measure of how deeply that indifference runs.
- After the Pandemic Hit Nursing Homes Hard, California Lawmakers Push to Tighten Licensing Rules (California Healthline)
Some legislators want to tighten regulation of nursing homes, including blocking license applicants who have poor track records, inadequate experience, or insufficient financial resources. The effort could make California a model for other states trying to improve nursing home care. Related: A CHCF report looked at deaths from COVID-19 in California nursing homes in 2020 and identified facility and resident characteristics associated with higher death rates.
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