19-1007 Improve Your Medi-Cal Patients Behavioral Health and Earn a Reward
Date: 12/27/19
Improve Your Medi-Cal Patients’ Behavioral Health and Earn a Reward
Complete the Behavioral Health Integration Incentive Program application by January 21, 2020, to get started
Eligible participating providers interested in the Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Incentive Program must complete the BHI Incentive Program application and submit the application to us via email at bhi-vbp@cahealthwellness.com by
January 21, 2020.
Providers can access the application through the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) website at www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Pages/VBP_BHI_IncProApp.aspx.
If you are contracted with more than one Medi-Cal managed health care plan (MCP), you must choose one MCP (in each county) to receive your application for each project option you select. If you are awarded BHI funding by us, we will be responsible for oversight and payment.
Eligible participating providers
All applicants must be currently contracted with California Health & Wellness Plan (CHWP). Providers eligible to submit BHI Incentive Program applications are primary care, specialty care, perinatal care, hospital-based and behavioral health providers, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs)/rural health clinics (RHCs)1, Indian Health Service (IHS), and public providers who provide services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. County-based providers are also eligible to apply if currently contracted with CHWP.
More info about the program
The objective of the DHCS BHI Incentive Program is to provide funding for practice redesigns that improves physical and behavioral health outcomes, care delivery efficiency and patient experience by integrating physical and behavioral health care.
Project options
BHI projects that can be applied in either a pediatric, adolescent and/or an adult practice. Projects should focus on one of the following areas:
· Basic behavioral health integration.
· Maternal access to mental health and substance use disorder screening and treatment.
· Medication management for beneficiaries with co-occurring chronic medical and behavioral diagnoses.
· Diabetes screening and treatment for people with serious mental illness.
· Improving follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness.
1 FQHC/RHC providers are eligible to apply if they provide behavioral health services, and/or intend to add such services, and indicate the intention to apply for a scope of service change in the future.
· Improving follow-up after emergency department visits for behavioral health diagnosis.
Year one incentive
After April 2020, CHWP will issue a flat incentive payment to awarded BHI providers based on the practice redesign infrastructure and implementation needs outlined in their application.
Year two and three incentives
In calendar year 2021 and calendar year 2022, CHWP will issue incentive payments to awardees based on achieving the milestones and performance metrics outlined in their application.
Complete memorandum of understanding is needed
If you apply and are selected for the BHI Incentive Program, a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between you and CHWP must be completed. As appropriate, CHWP may modify the MOU template attached in the BHI Incentive Program application as Appendix B, and which can be accessed via the DHCS website at www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Pages/VBP_BHI_IncProApp.aspx.
Important dates to stay on track
Information | Date |
Application to MCP due | January 21, 2020 |
MCP review of applications | February 18, 2020 |
Decisions issued by MCP | March 18, 2020 |
Incentive program start date | April 1, 2020 |
Incentive program operation duration | April 1, 2020–December 31, 2022 |
Additional information
To obtain more detailed information, access and complete the application, access the program process guide or program project selection criteria, refer to the DHCS website at www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Pages/VBP_BHI_IncProApp.aspx.
For questions that cannot be answered through the DHCS website indicated above, contact CHWP via email at
bhi-vbp@cahealthwellness.com.
For all other questions, contact CHWP at 1-877-658-0305.