(a) Subject to subdivision (f) of Section 14184.102, the department shall implement an enhanced care management (ECM) benefit designed to address the clinical and nonclinical needs on a whole-person-care basis for certain target populations of Medi-Cal beneficiaries enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care plans, in accordance with this section and the CalAIM Terms and Conditions.

(b) (1) Subject to the effective dates listed in subdivision (c), the ECM benefit shall be available on a statewide basis to an eligible Medi-Cal beneficiary who is enrolled in an applicable Medi-Cal managed care plan and who meets the criteria in the CalAIM Terms and Conditions for one or more target populations, as determined by the department. A Medi-Cal beneficiary is excluded from ECM while enrolled in a 1915(c) waiver or the Family Mosaic Project, or while receiving California Community Transitions (CCT) Money Follows the Person (MFTP) services. ECM shall be available to a qualifying dual eligible beneficiary, as described under Section 14184.200, except for a dual eligible beneficiary enrolled in a fully integrated program for members who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, including Cal MediConnect during the duration of the demonstration authorized in Section 14132.275, Fully Integrated Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (FIDE-SNPs), and the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

(2) ECM only shall be available as a covered Medi-Cal benefit under a comprehensive risk contract with a Medi-Cal managed care plan. A Medi-Cal beneficiary who is eligible for ECM shall enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care plan in order to receive those services.

(c) (1) A Medi-Cal managed care plan operating in counties in which either the Whole Person Care pilot program, pursuant to Section 14184.60, or the Health Home Program, pursuant to Article 3.9 (commencing with Section 14127), or both, were implemented, as determined by the department, shall be required to cover ECM under its comprehensive risk contract as follows:

(A) Commencing January 1, 2022, a Medi-Cal managed care plan described in this paragraph shall be required to cover ECM for existing target populations under either the Whole Person Care pilot program or the Health Home Program, or both, as identified by the department.

(B) (i) Commencing January 1, 2023, a Medi-Cal managed care plan described in this paragraph shall be required to cover ECM for other select target populations described in subdivision (d), as identified by the department and in accordance with the CalAIM Terms and Conditions.

(ii) Commencing July 1, 2023, a Medi-Cal managed care plan described in this paragraph shall be required to cover ECM for all target populations described in subdivision (d) and in accordance with the CalAIM Terms and Conditions.

(2) A Medi-Cal managed care plan operating in counties in which neither the Whole Person Care pilot program, pursuant to Section 14184.60, or the Health Home Program, pursuant to Article 3.9 (commencing with Section 14127), was implemented, as determined by the department, shall be required to cover select ECM target populations, as identified by the department, under its comprehensive risk contract, commencing July 1, 2022. All other target populations, including the target population described in paragraph (7) of subdivision (d), shall be covered commencing January 1, 2023, or July 1, 2023, in accordance with the CalAIM Terms and Conditions.

(d) Target populations shall include the following, consistent with the department’s eligibility criteria, and to the extent approved in the CalAIM Terms and Conditions:

(1) Children or youth with complex physical, behavioral, developmental, or oral health needs, including, but not limited to, those eligible for California Children’s Services, those involved or with a history of involvement in child welfare or the juvenile justice system, or youth with clinical high-risk syndrome or a first episode of psychosis.

(2) Individuals experiencing homelessness.

(3) High utilizers with frequent hospital admissions, short-term skilled nursing facility stays, or emergency room visits.

(4) Individuals at risk for institutionalization and eligible for long-term care services.

(5) Nursing facility residents who want to transition to the community.

(6) Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), and children with serious emotional disturbance (SED) or substance use disorder (SUD).

(7) Individuals transitioning from incarceration requiring immediate transition of services to the community.

(e) Notwithstanding any other law, for any time period in which a Medi-Cal beneficiary is eligible to receive ECM services through enrollment in their Medi-Cal managed care plan, the beneficiary shall not receive duplicative targeted case management services as described in Section 14132.44 or otherwise authorized in the Medi-Cal State Plan, as determined by the department.

(f) Medi-Cal managed plans shall consult and collaborate with Medi-Cal behavioral health delivery systems for the delivery of ECM for beneficiaries with an SMI, SED, or SUD.

(g) If a Medi-Cal managed care plan proposes to keep some level of ECM in house instead of contracting with direct providers, the Medi-Cal managed care plan shall demonstrate to the state that its ECM benefit is appropriately community based and shall provide a rationale for not contracting with existing providers.

(h) The department shall develop, in consultation with Medi-Cal managed care plans and other appropriate stakeholders, a monitoring plan and reporting template for the implementation of ECM pursuant to this section. The department shall annually publish a public report on reported ECM utilization data, populations served, and demographic data, stratified by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and languages spoken, to the extent statistically reliant data is available.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 143, Sec. 402. (AB 133) Effective July 27, 2021.)