Over the past week, the Governor has made a series of
announcements and focused significant time in his daily press
briefings on the issue of food assistance for older adults and
families.
Governor Newsom signed Executive
Order N-55-20 to extend deadlines and requirements for
Medi-Cal providers and facilities in the state.
The new Executive Order grants the Department of Health Care
Services (DHCS) the power to waive signature requirements for
psychiatric medications and extends the administrative deadlines
for reporting and inspections for substance use disorder and
psychiatric treatment facilities.
The California
Testing Task Force hosted a second webinar for local
elected officials, local public health directors and officers,
and local emergency managers to discuss the rapid increase in
COVID-19 testing capacity and areas that they will continue
working on.
Governor Newsom announced his four stage plan to reopen the state
today, called the California Resilience Roadmap. In response to
some county concerns shared by CSAC over the weekend, he
indicated that the reopening process could occur regionally and
promised to work closely with local health officers on the
roadmap. He also took the opportunity to emphasize that the state
is trending in the right direction and that he is thinking of the
stages, especially moving from stage 1 (which we are in
currently) to stage 2, in weeks, not months.
Over the weekend, the California Department of Public Health
released the new
COVID-19 testing prioritization document. The
California Testing Task Force also hosted a webinar to
discuss the increase in COVID-19 testing capacity and areas that
they will continue working on.
The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board has
begun accepting applications for the CMSP COVID-19 Bridge Loan
Program. The loan program aims to assist community health centers
continue the essential health care services during this pandemic.
Eligible entities are federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural
Health Clinics, and Tribal Health Programs with active contracts
in one of the
35 CMSP counties.
Accompanied by Santa Clara Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Susan
Ellenberg, as well as San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Governor
Newsom delivered one of his daily COVID-19 updates over the
weekend from a newly leased Motel 6 in Santa Clara County.
This backdrop was significant as Governor
Newsom announced a new statewide master lease
agreement/template with Motel 6 corporate. The agreement includes
5,025 new rooms across Motel 6 locations in 19 counties, and
contains language on extending the leases into the future beyond
the COVID-19 pandemic.
CSAC and county affiliates submitted a coalition
letter to our California Congressional delegation requesting
their support in urging extensions to the Section 1115 Medicaid
waiver and the Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health Services
(1915(b)) waiver. Our coalition has specifically asked our
delegation to support a one-year extension for both waivers.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has created a new
aid code for individuals to assist them in accessing testing,
treatment, and care for COVID-19 related services. Approved
federally as part of the CARES Act, California can now provide
access to coverage for COVID-19 diagnostic testing,
testing-related services, and treatment services, including all
medically necessary care, at no cost to the individual.
In response to the statewide impacts of COVID-19, DHCS announced
the postponement of the California Advancing and Innovating
Medi-Cal (CalAIM) implementation activities. In addition to the
postponement DHCS will request the extension to the current
Medicaid Section 1115 and Section 1915(b) Specialty Mental Health
waivers from the federal government.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced
$186 million in funding for state and local public health
departments for COVID-19 response. California will receive $27.5
Million of this allocation from the CDC.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) released new
guidance on Employment Services provisions in the California Work
Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program,
through an
All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL). The guidance
encourages counties to minimize the fiscal impacts on families,
during a time of economic uncertainty, while continuing to
support them through supportive services.
