Report 2018-111 Recommendation 15 Responses

Report 2018-111: Department of Health Care Services: Millions of Children in Medi-Cal Are Not Receiving Preventive Health Services (Release Date: March 2019)

Recommendation #15 To: Health Care Services, Department of

To ensure that plans are effectively mitigating child health disparities in their service area, DHCS should implement by September 2019 a policy to require the plans to take action on the most significant findings cited in their group needs assessment reports, and to regularly follow up with the plans to ensure they have addressed the findings.

1-Year Agency Response

APL "Health Education and Cultural and Linguistic Population Needs Assessment" was published September 30, 2019. DHCS notes that the GNA was renamed PNA to clarify that the policy applied to the entire MCP member population as opposed to particular groups, but the substance of the requirement was not impacted by the name change.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

DHCS' All Plan Letter includes a requirement for plans to take action on the most significant findings cited in their group needs assessment reports and specifies that DHCS will follow up with the plans to ensure that they have addressed the findings.

6-Month Agency Response

DHCS has shared the draft GNA APL for public comment and is in the process of incorporating feedback from the public comment period into the final APL, which will be published in September 2019.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

DHCS' response indicates that its All Plan Letter is still in draft form. We look forward to reviewing it when it is finalized, specifically focusing on whether it includes a required action plan and regular follow-up with the plans to ensure that they have addressed the findings.

60-Day Agency Response

DHCS is updating its APL to clarify the requirements and format of the annual MCP submission for the GNA. DHCS will have the EQRO incorporate the available information from the GNA submissions into the corresponding Plan Specific Evaluation Reports and provide recommendations pertaining to the GNAs. DHCS will follow-up with MCPs to ensure they are engaging in efforts to address recommendations.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

We look forward to reviewing the updated policy in DHCS' 6-month response.

All Recommendations in 2018-111

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.