Supporting Health Centers in Navigating the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Unwinding Process and a Historic Level of Medi-Cal Redeterminations

The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially ended on May 11, 2023, but many of the policies enacted during the pandemic to allow necessary flexibility and resources for community health centers (CHC) to serve their patients and communities have since been “de-linked” from the PHE. To support CHCs in navigating the PHE unwinding process and ensure they can continue to provide high-quality, equitable care to their communities, California Primary Care Association (CPCA) continues to engage with state and federal agencies and provide members with forthcoming guidance related to the PHE unwinding.

To support health centers as they face a historic level of Medi-Cal redeterminations, as well as prepare for enrollment of the adult expansion population into full-scope Medi-Cal beginning January 2024, CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates has been advocating for an augmentation of the Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project. While this program’s funding has historically reached only a portion of health centers (33 CHCs received funding through the most recent funding allocation), our goal has been to provide education to both the Legislature and Department of Health Care Services on the key role that health centers play in health navigation services for the one in three Medi-Cal patients they serve.

CPCA successfully advocated for $60 million dollars to be dedicated to CHCs in the FY 2023/24 State Budget. Twenty million dollars is allocated for the Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project for CHC navigation (outreach and enrollment) services.

CPCA staff continue to support peer networks where members can come together to engage with their peers on these issues. The Outreach and Enrollment Peer Network has been serving as a support system for members during the unwinding of the PHE to discuss shared challenges, seek guidance from peers, and access a network of support that understands their unique circumstances and context. In addition, the Emergency Management Peer Network hosted a training on the topic of developing After Action Reports/Improvement Plans (AAR/IPs) for the COVID-19 pandemic specifically for CHCs. The session included a recap of the requirements for AAR/IPs for emergency responses within the CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule and other grant/accreditation programs as well as tips and guidelines for developing a COVID-19 AAR/IP, especially given the length of the response period. The training includes a discussion guide for facilities to take back to their teams to collect information, as well as references to sample templates and resources for starting an AAR/IP.

CPCA continues to work closely with the California Department of Public Health and maintains regular lines of communication with the Health Resource and Services Administration to ensure health centers’ needs remain at the forefront of program development and resource allocation. As announcements, opportunities, and resources are made available, CPCA shares these with health centers through peer networks, CPCA’s Weekly Updates, newsletters, and other channels. 

In addition, CPCA staff has also created a dashboard that provides summaries, important dates, impact to CHCs, and other resources related to the unwinding of the PHE. It will continue to be updated as additional guidance and resources are available. Feedback and questions on the unwinding process can be submitted to staff via the dashboard.