Managed Care Plans is a crucial partner in the statewide CalAIM initiative. The Department of Health Services (DHCS) has developed the CalAIM Incentive Payments Program to support the introduction and expansion of CalAIM. DHCS expects that participating managed care plans will utilize incentives to make strategic investments in enhanced care management, community support providers, local partners, and other providers.
In 2022, DHCS disbursed $300 million in incentives to Medi-Cal-administered care plans in the first year of the program. The California Rural Health Plan reviewed four local plan strategies for disbursing incentives to service areas in an issue brief.
The CalAIM Incentive Payments Program’s Local Plan Strategy explores how each plan uses incentive funds to strengthen internal systems and enhance care management. This strategy uses information gathered through interviews and survey responses from membership plans to expand community support services and support Medi-Cal members’ most complex needs.
The issue brief highlights four plans that featured in the CalAIM Incentive Payments Program Local Plan Strategy, including Inland Empire Health Plan, Kern Family Health Care, Partnership HealthPlan of California, and Central California Alliance for Health.
The CalAIM Incentive Payments Program is an essential component of the CalAIM initiative, particularly for managed care plans. Its Local Plan Strategy incentivizes managed care plans to invest in enhanced care management and community support services, which can ultimately lead to better health outcomes for Medi-Cal members.