L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated health plan in the country, had hoped that the proposed 2022-23 January budget would include funding for two programs that will be critical for the success of California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM). This week, the health plan joined nearly two dozen health care leaders across the state in asking Governor Newsom to include a $100 million General Fund allocation to accelerate Medi-Cal provider data sharing and build the data infrastructure needed to deliver on the commitment to improve Medi-Cal quality. The agencies that signed onto a letter to the governor say the funding will also help address longstanding equity concerns.
The two programs that need funding will address substantial data gaps that were identified by the California Health and Human Services Agency. One program provides performance payments for Medi-Cal providers that join and share data with quality health information organizations (HIOs). Such incentives have proven to accelerate HIO participation. The second program would provide funding for qualified HIOs to build and maintain the health data infrastructure needed for the sweeping set of Medi-Cal delivery system reforms in CalAIM.
We hope the revised budget released in May will include the funding that will allow qualified HIOs to connect to Medi-Cal providers’ electronic health records and aggregate the clinical data to support CalAIM and other Medi-Cal activities, including enhanced care management, community supports, behavioral health system modernization, quality improvement and population health management.