{"id":4681,"date":"2026-03-18T10:13:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:13:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thescanfoundation.org\/?post_type=news-insight&#038;p=4681"},"modified":"2026-03-31T11:17:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:17:46","slug":"medi-cal-1115-waiver-renewal-policy-recommendations-to-strengthen-hcbs-and-calaim-in-california","status":"publish","type":"news-insight","link":"https:\/\/www.thescanfoundation.org\/es\/news-insight\/medi-cal-1115-waiver-renewal-policy-recommendations-to-strengthen-hcbs-and-calaim-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Medi-Cal 1115 Waiver Renewal: Policy Recommendations to Strengthen HCBS and CalAIM in California"},"template":"","class_list":["post-4681","news-insight","type-news-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-insight_type-insight","location-california"],"acf":{"details":{"helper_accent_color":"green","helper_taxonomies":{"priority_tax":[7],"location":[12],"news-insight_type":[17],"resource_type":false,"event_type":false,"person_type":false,"year_tax":false,"asset_class":false,"investment_type":false,"investment_category":false},"helper_authors":[{"person_type":"linked","author_linked":[1512],"author_manual":""}],"abstract":"<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Medi-Cal continues to\u00a0be\u00a0a critical\u00a0access\u00a0point for\u00a0health care and\u00a0home and community-based services\u00a0(HCBS)\u00a0for older adults and people with disabilities.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As these populations grow\u00a0and their needs change,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0imperative that\u00a0Medi-Cal evolve\u00a0to remain responsive.<\/span>","featured_image":2628,"":null,"source_logo":"","source_name":""},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Medi-Cal continues to\u00a0be\u00a0a critical\u00a0access\u00a0point for\u00a0health care and\u00a0home and community-based services\u00a0(HCBS)\u00a0for older adults and people with disabilities.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">As these populations grow\u00a0and their needs change,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0imperative that\u00a0Medi-Cal evolve\u00a0to remain responsive.\u00a0Through\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/calaim.dhcs.ca.gov\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (CalAIM)\u00a0program, the\u00a0California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)\u00a0embarked on\u00a0efforts\u00a0to make Medi-Cal\u00a0more person-centered,\u00a0equitable, and coordinated. DHCS\u00a0utilized\u00a0federal\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/medicaid\/medicaid-section-1115-waivers-the-basics\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">1115 Medicaid Waiver Authority<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)\u00a0to\u00a0implement\u00a0CalAIM\u00a0over a\u00a0five year\u00a0period.\u00a0As the 1115 waiver expires at\u00a0the end of this year,\u00a0DHCS\u00a0published\u00a0their\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dhcs.ca.gov\/provgovpart\/Documents\/CalAIM-Section-1115-Application.pdf\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">renewal\u00a0application<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0for public comment\u00a0from February\u00a010,\u00a02025\u00a0to March 12, 2025.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">The application largely focuses on continuing CalAIM initiatives; however, it does include two new proposals related to HCBS. The SCAN Foundation (TSF) submitted a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thescanfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Medi-Cal-1115-Waiver-Renewal-Policy-Recommendations-to-Strengthen-HCBS-and-CalAIM-in-CA.pdf\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4682\">comment letter<\/a> that acknowledges the state\u2019s commitment to improving health care and HCBS access while offering recommendations to strengthen proposals.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Key themes addressed in the letter include:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:770,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Implications of the design of\u00a0the\u00a0proposed\u00a0BridgeCare\u00a0pilots, an opt-in program for local entities (regions\/counties) to\u00a0provide HCBS to\u00a0older\u00a0adults\u00a0just over income eligibility for Medi-Cal (near duals)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:770,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Recommended services to be included in the\u00a0BridgeCare\u00a0pilots\u00a0discretionary services package<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:770,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Consideration\u00a0for an\u00a0advisory committee to advise on\u00a0the transition of the Community Based Adult Services\u00a0program from 1115 waiver authority to 1915i waiver authority<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">The letter is intended to inform DHCS\u2019 final\u00a0renewal application\u00a0to be\u00a0submitted\u00a0later this year.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Read the letter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thescanfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Medi-Cal-1115-Waiver-Renewal-Policy-Recommendations-to-Strengthen-HCBS-and-CalAIM-in-CA.pdf\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-4682\">here<\/a>.<\/span>","":null,"helper_width":"narrow"}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - 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