In Brief: DHCS Expands Medi-Cal Managed Care; One In Four L.A County Foster Kids Getting Pregnant

DHCS Completes Medi-Cal Managed Care Expansion

A plan to bring Medi-Cal managed care to all of California's 58 counties has been completed, officials with the Department of Health Care Services announced earlier this month.

The expansion was completed with the recent introduction of Medi-Cal managed care coverage to 274,000 program enrollees residing in 28 rural counties. A total of 172,000 of those enrollees in 20 counties were transitioned on Nov. 1 into plans operated by Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross of California and the California Health and Wellness Plan.

DHCS officials said the transition to managed care for the Medi-Cal program is crucial as California expects to enroll as many as 2 million more residents in the coming years as the result of the expanded eligibility under the federal Affordable Care Act.

“This is an important (time) for California as we continue our march to expand coverage and 

benefits to more Californians in need,” said DHCS Director Toby Douglas. “Because of our strong partnerships with these counties and our managed care plans, we are able to provide a more coordinated system of care that will help ensure quality healthcare is available to our members.” 

Those enrolled in Medi-Cal managed care plans will be placed into a medical home with access to a primary care physician, officials said.

One In Four L.A. County Foster Kids Getting Pregnant

A new study by University of Southern California researchers concluded that one in four teenagers in foster care in Los Angeles County are giving birth before the age of 20, and as many as 40% have a second child while still teenagers.

The report, which combed child protective services records in the nation's most populous county, also discovered that 40% of teen mothers were abuse and neglect victims before becoming pregnant.

"These data underscore opportunities for targeted prevention as well as the importance of policies that support and enhance the parenting capacity of young mothers," said USC Professor Emily Putnam-Hornstein, who authored the report. 

Last year, California extended foster care coverage until the age of 21, up from 18 years of age.

Sutter Health Donates $200,000 For Philippines Relief

Sacramento-based hospital operator Sutter Health has donated $200,000 to provide relief to victims of  typhoon Haian in the Philippines. The money will be split equally between the American Red Cross International Disaster Relief Fund and the International Medical Corps.

“The massive devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines is unimaginable,” said Patrick Fry, Sutter's chief executive officer. “While the full extent of the damage continues to unfold, we hope our donation, and donations from others during this time, will help bring comfort and relief to those who need it the most.”