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California Health & Wellness is no longer a Medi-Cal plan starting January 1, 2024. Regardless of the county you live in, your Medi-Cal service and benefits will not be impacted by the health plan changes since you will be assigned to a new health plan. The county you live in determines your new health plan. Learn more
California Health & Wellness is no longer a Medi-Cal plan starting January 1, 2024. Regardless of the county you live in, your Medi-Cal service and benefits will not be impacted by the health plan changes since you will be assigned to a new health plan. The county you live in determines your new health plan. Learn more

22-918 Long-Term Care Benefit for Medi-Cal

Date: 10/26/22

Effective January 1, 2023, long-term care members to enroll in a managed care plan

Per All Plan Letter 22-0181, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will require the following to enroll in a managed care plan:

  • By January 1, 2023, most non-dual and dual long-term care (LTC) members residing in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
  • By July 1, 2023, the remaining LTC residents receiving services from adult and pediatric Subacute Facility and Intermediate Care Facility for the Developmentally Disabled (ICD-DD).

Starting January 1, 2023, California Health & Wellness Plan (CHWP) will authorize and cover medically necessary long-term care services provided in SNFs. Members who are admitted into a SNF and who would otherwise have been disenrolled from our health plan will remain enrolled in CHWP.

Bed hold and leave of absence

Members may return to the same SNF where they previously resided under the bed hold and leave of absence policies per Medi-Cal requirements for bed hold and leave of absence.2 CHWP will ensure that SNFs notify our members or their authorized representative in writing of the right to exercise the bed hold and leave of absence provisions.

Continuity of care

CHWP will automatically provide 12 months of continuity of care for the SNF placement of any member residing in a SNF who undergoes a mandatory transition to CHWP on January 1, 2023, and before July 1, 2023. If the member is currently residing in a SNF, they do not have to request continuity of care.

Members may stay in the same SNF under continuity of care only in the following scenarios:

  • The SNF is enrolled and licensed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
  • The SNF meets CHWP’s applicable professional standards and has no disqualifying quality of care issues.
  • The SNF and CHWP agree to payment rates that meet state statutory requirements.

Following the initial 12-month continuity of care period, members may request an additional 12 months of continuity of care, following the process established by All Plan Letter (APL) 18-008.

Primary care physicians continue to provide care prior to the transition to LTC, and coordinate with the LTC attending physician to ensure continuity of care. For coordination of benefit questions, physicians and providers may contact the CHWP Public Programs Department at 800-526-1898.

Prior authorization and referral

Physicians and other providers must supply both the completed Long-Term Care Authorization Notification Form as well as any supporting clinical information, such as the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR), Minimum Data Set (MDS) or approved Treatment Authorization Request (TAR), as applicable, to the Long-Term Care Intake Line by fax at 855-851-4563. CHWP continues to honor any currently active TAR approved authorizations.

For new admission authorization/notification requests, once a decision is made, CHWP notifies the physician and other provider by telephone or fax. Other ancillary services may require prior authorization and are not included in the nursing facility room rate. Physicians and other providers must obtain prior authorization before providing such services.

Physicians and other providers may contact the Long-Term Care Intake Line at 800-453-3033 with all questions regarding LTC referrals and authorizations, or to check the status of a request.

CHWP is responsible for all other approved services in a SNF exclusive of the LTC per diem rate for a period of 90 days after enrollment in CHWP or for the duration of the treatment authorization (whichever is shorter) and until CHWP is able to reassess the member and authorize and connect the member to medically necessary services. For current prior authorization requirements, go to provider website, select For Providers > Provider Resources > Prior Authorization > Prior Authorization Requirements.

Claims and payment

Physicians and other providers must verify eligibility monthly to ensure claims are appropriately directed. Once the transition of all impacted members occurs by enrollment type from Medi-Cal fee-for-service (FFS) to CHWP, if the member is in an LTC facility receiving long-term skilled or custodial Medi-Cal-type benefits, physicians and other providers may submit claims directly to the CHWP Claims Department. A prior authorization number from CHWP is required on the claim form.

Additional information

Relevant sections of the provider operations manuals have been revised to reflect the information contained in this update as applicable. The provider operations manual is available in the Provider Resources section of the provider website.

Physicians and other providers are encouraged to access CHWP’s provider portal for real-time information, including eligibility verification, claims status, prior authorization status, plan summaries, and more.

If you have questions regarding the information contained in this update, contact CHWP at 877-658-0305.

1https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/Documents/MMCDAPLsandPolicyLetters/APL2022/APL22-018.pdf.

2Detailed in Title 22 California Code of Regulations (CCR) Sections 51535 and 51535.1.

 

This Information applies to Physicians, Independent Practice Associations (IPAs), Hospitals, and Ancillary Providers.