January 8, 2014 – The court settlement that preserved Medi-Cal coverage for Adult Day Health Care will expire on August 31, 2014. That settlement gave the benefit its new name – CBAS, for Community-Based Adult Services – and transitioned the benefit from Medi-Cal fee-for-service to a Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan benefit in Alameda and many other counties. The settlement thus gave CBAS the distinction of being the first LTSS to move into Medi-Cal Managed Care. It also bought time, enough to allow California’s Department of Health Care Services to change its opinion about eliminating the program.
In October 2013, DHCS acknowledged that “CBAS is a key component of LTSS under the Coordinated Care Initiative” and “an important Home and Community-Based Service that provides alternatives to institutional care.” More, DHCS and the California Department on Aging launched a CBAS Stakeholder Workgroup. Its purpose is to develop a future (post-settlement) direction for CBAS, and to prepare for amending the CBAS section of the federal 1115 Waiver (itself set to expire in August 2014).
This bodes well, as does the meaningful participation of an impressive and broad set of workgroup members. The Workgroup will meet three times (Jan. 9, Feb. 4 and March 6) before they must complete their deliverables in April. The door is open for the public and service providers to participate at the meetings (in person and by webinar), and to offer comments and recommendations in writing (by emailing CBAScda@aging.ca.gov) or by phone (916-419-7545) through April 2014.
To sign up to receive email notices, and to view meeting materials, go to http://www.aging.ca.gov/programsproviders/ADHC-CBAS/Stakeholder_Process/
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