In late October, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
updated the
Medi-Cal COVID-19 PHE Operational Unwinding Plan. The updated
plan reflects two new flexibilities approved by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) effective October 18 to
further reduce the administrative burden on Medi-Cal members,
managed care plans, and local county offices when updating member
contact information. These flexibilities will remain in effect 14
months after the COVID-19 PHE ends, as counties process Medi-Cal
redeterminations during the COVID-19 PHE unwinding period. The
additional approved flexibilities are as follows:
Partnering with the National Change of Address (NCOA)
Database and United States Postal Service (USPS) In-State
Forwarding Address to Update Member Contact
Information. DHCS will temporarily permit the
acceptance of updated in-state enrollee contact information
from the NCOA database and USPS in-state forwarding address
without additional confirmation from the individual. Under this
authority, California will treat updated in-state contact
information confirmed by and received from the NCOA database or
USPS returned mail with a forwarding address as reliable and
update the member record with the new contact information
without first sending a notice to the member address on file
with the state.
Partnering with Program of All-Inclusive Care for the
Elderly (PACE) Organizations to Update Beneficiary Contact
Information. California will temporarily permit the
acceptance of updated in-state enrollee contact information
from PACE organizations without additional confirmation from
the individual. Under this authority, the state will treat
updated in-state contact information confirmed by and received
from PACE organizations contracting with the state Medicaid
agency as reliable and update the beneficiary record with the
new contact information without first sending a notice to the
beneficiary address on file with the state.
