Thanks and a hat tip to Dohn H.......
If you are looking for trends in the health and human services industry, California is often the place to look (see California As A Bellwether). Another great recent example of California at the forefront of industry trends is whole person care coordination – the practice of treating consumers with co-occurring health conditions and social services needs, specific to each consumer’s needs.
In July, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched seven new Medi-Cal Whole Person Care (WPC) pilots and expanded another eight – bringing the total number of pilot programs to 25 (see California Medicaid Launches 7 New Whole Person Care Pilots, Expands 8 Others). These five-year WPC pilots are locally-based initiatives that coordinate physical health, behavioral health, and social services, including non-Medicaid services, housing, and supportive services for Medicaid beneficiaries. Also key to the initiative – the pilots rely on data sharing to identify the targeted populations, link them to services, and track the intervention impact on outcomes.
First and foremost, how will these pilots change the work done by provider organizations in the California market and how does this represent an opportunity? There are two elements to keep in mind: