Last year Governor Brown prevailed with his budget proposal to phase out California’s Healthy Families Program, and shift all 870,000 children into Medi-Cal. The Children’s Partnership has been monitoring the progress of these transitions and is pleased to share this update. The transitions began in January and will proceed in four phases throughout 2013. The first phase, which involves 368,000 children is still underway and is expected to be completed in May, when 63,000 transitions in Los Angeles and Sacramento will take place. This first wave of transitions was designed for families where no change in plans or providers was anticipated, and involved families throughout the state. Phase 2 began on April 2, 2013 and will include 228,000 children who are currently enrolled in plans that are sub-contractors of a Medi-Cal plan. Phase 3, which will begin no sooner than August 1, 2013, will move 135,000 children enrolled in a Healthy Families plan that is not a Medi-Cal plan and does not sub-contract with Medi-Cal into a Medi-Cal health plan available in their county. The final phase of the transitions will begin no earlier than September 1, 2013 and is expected to transition approximately 43,000 children residing in counties that are not in Medi-Cal managed care into the Medi-Cal fee-for-service delivery system. The transitions, expected to be completed before the end of the year, were authorized by new Medi-Cal income eligibility standards that permit children in families with incomes up to 250% FPL to now be served in Medi-Cal.
