In 2021, California launched a historic Medicaid transformation to improve health outcomes and equity by integrating health and social care. This bold initiative funds social services through partnerships between Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), moving California toward a population health approach that prioritizes prevention and whole-person care. In its first year, the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative connected more than 100,000 Medi-Cal members with social services. Now more than two years in, the MCOs and CBOs pioneering this effort have encountered challenges, created solutions, and honed best practices—lessons they are ready to share.

In this webinar, leaders and policymakers heard directly from health care and social care partners on the front lines about how California’s reforms can scale across the country. We identified common implementation challenges and explained ways to overcome them. We discussed how partners worked to address behavioral health through improved complex-care coordination. And from our ground-level experience, we outlined key considerations and investments to foster success—and identified the sustainability measures required to equitably scale programs.

Speakers:

• Alexis Taylor, MPA, MSL, Senior Program Manager, HealthBegins, (host)
• Nai Kasick, MPH, Former Vice President Medi-Cal Lead, Health Net
• John Sisneroz, PsyD, Director of Community Engagement, San Joaquin Health Centers
• Terri White, Program Director, ECM and CS at Turning Point Community Programs

Webinar Objectives:

By the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Describe the essential features of California’s Medicaid transformation model.
• Identify common implementation challenges and potential solutions.
• Explain best practices for establishing successful referral systems and sustainable CBO partnerships.