The Health Plan’s Board Also Authorized Steps to Support Employees
LOS ANGELES – The wildfires raging across Los Angeles County over the past few weeks have destroyed thousands of homes and caused more than two dozen deaths. Since the first fire erupted, L.A. Care Health Plan, a public plan serving the L.A. County community, has been working to ensure that any members who have been displaced by the destruction receive the health care they need, as well as other resources and services to help them through this crisis. Now, as the recovery for everyone will be difficult, the L.A. Care Board of Governors has unanimously approved help for its provider partners, community partners and employees.
The board approved up to $10 million for the L.A. Care Network and Community Relief Fund to assist providers in its network, county agencies, and community organizations as they rebuild after catastrophic losses.
“L.A. Care’s emergency response teams have been collaborating with provider partners and community stakeholders from the beginning of the fire emergency to ensure they could serve our members. The health plan is already supporting providers by allocating resources to address staffing shortages and supply needs in the most impacted areas,” said Martha Santana-Chin, L.A. Care CEO. “This additional funding will help speed up the recovery for those who are facing serious challenges. Ultimately, it means continued access to care and support services for the vulnerable residents that L.A. Care serves.”
In addition to the financial support, L.A. Care has suspended authorization requirements for hospital discharge-related services.
The wildfires have also taken a toll on L.A. Care employees. At least nine lost their homes, several dozen had to be evacuated, and a few hundred others were otherwise impacted by the fires, whether through power outages, wind damage, or poor air quality. The L.A. Care Board of Governors recognizes their plight and authorized the use of a variety of tools to ease their recovery from this crisis.
“L.A. Care understands that without the appropriate assistance, there is a risk that employees will struggle with instability, be unable to support our members and providers – and potentially unable to continue their important work with L.A. Care,” said Santana-Chin. “We value our employees and their commitment to L.A. Care’s mission of providing high-quality care to the county’s low-income populations, so we want to ensure that they can continue to help fulfill that mission.”
Many of the tools had already been implemented. The board authorization simply offers the ability to offer a more robust support effort. The L.A. Care Wildfire Employee Assistance Program offers an additional 40 hours of emergency paid time off for those who lost their home, increases the amount of paid volunteer time off for those who want to lend support to those directly impacted by the fires from 16 hours to 40 per hours year, and it allows employees to donate their own paid time off hours to associates dealing with fire losses.
L.A. Care has also been taking a number of steps to support its members, providers and the community impacted by the fires:
Member Support
Allowed out-of-network services without additional cost-sharing
Allowed prescriptions to be filled early or at out-of-network pharmacies without prior authorization
Partnered with several assisted living facilities for relocation of members, allowing them to be moved quickly and without prior authorization. Once relocated, worked with vendors to coordinate facility reimbursement, ensuring continuity of care during this critical time
Identified skilled nursing facilities that could accommodate our members in the event of an evacuation, helping streamline the process and minimize disruption to care
Accommodated transportation changes to existing reservations
Case managers reached out to the highest risk members to help coordinate care in this challenging time
Members struggling emotionally have been encouraged to take advantage of L.A. Care’s behavioral health services
Launched a wildfire resources webpage, to ensure all health plan support and other resources are easily accessible
Community Support
The health plan’s L.A. Care Community Partner Collaborative hosted an essential needs donation drive and distribution, serving more than 3,000 families
Coordinated 20 pickups from the L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers across Los Angeles County to gather supplies for those impacted by the fires
The L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers also opened for special Saturday hours to help connect fire victims with resources and services, in additional to supplying N95 masks to any visitor
Launched a Wildfire Relief Sponsorships Program to provide sponsorships to organizations providing emergency relief services, such as food and water, and connections to housing and other resources
Took a seat at the table as part of the Los Angeles County-led Health and Social Services Task Force on Wildfire Recovery
Provider Support
Supported providers who were impacted by the wildfires
Suspended authorization requirements for hospital discharge-related services, expediting placement, alleviating hospital bed capacity and ensuring a smoother transition for members
Supplied needed water, N95 masks and other supplies to field medicine teams working on the streets with members experiencing homelessness
- Partnered with several Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) to swift relocation of members, allowing them to be moved quickly and without prior authorization
- Maintained close communication with network facilities to ensure L.A. Care was fully prepared for any emergencies
- Proactively assisted in identifying skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that could accommodate our members in the event of an evacuation, helping to streamline the process and minimize disruption to care
The wildfires have been nearly unprecedented in scope, severity, and destruction. L.A. Care is determined to help where we can, as it will help lead to better health outcomes for L.A. Care members and their communities. The health plan will lock arms with our members, the city and county, and community organizations to marshal our resources and rebuild our communities.
This commitment aligns with L.A. Care’s commitment to advancing health equity, which means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.