The Department of Health Care Services has released for stakeholder comment draft standards around behavioral health coordination for the health plans participating in the duals demonstration.
These standards are complementary to the draft standards for care coordination and long-term services and supports, on which the department has already sought stakeholder feedback. Once finalized, the standards will become part of the contract requirements and readiness review criteria for the health plans.
These standards reflect feedback from an earlier draft released in August. The standards are specific to the coordination of Medi-Cal specialty mental health and Drug Medi-Cal services that are carved out of the demonstration and will remain the responsibility of the counties. The Department’s expectations around overall coordination of behavioral health with medical and LTSS services are reflected in the broader care coordination standards document.
These standards closely mirror the draft language for local MOUs between the health plans and counties behavioral health departments.
DHCS requests your comments on both the draft MOU language and the standards by January 4, 2013. Please submit your comments using this comment template to info@calduals.org.