A Letter From Emily Fonda, M.D.,
CalOptima Interim Chief Medical Officer
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With the new year here and COVID-19 vaccination efforts underway, I am hopeful that we are turning the page on the heartbreaking pandemic chapter in our community’s story. In this next chapter, we all have a role to play as we maintain our healthy practices and seek vaccination when it becomes available.
Regarding the vaccine, it is important to sort fact from fiction. Please allow me to share insights as a Board-certified Internal Medicine specialist and the Interim Chief Medical Officer of CalOptima, Orange County’s public health plan serving one in four residents. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were authorized by the FDA because they were proven to be safe and effective. These vaccines do not infect people with COVID-19, but instead use a small piece of the virus structure to trigger an immune response that can protect individuals from getting the disease or spreading it to others.
Distribution of the vaccine is in four phases that prioritize critical populations given the current limited vaccine supply. Now underway, Phase 1a targets frontline health care workers and vulnerable long-term care residents. Distribution will then expand until vaccines are available to everyone, which is estimated to be in the summer. Vaccines are essential to ensure a healthier future, but they cannot work alone. The practices we know so well — wearing masks, washing hands, practicing physical distancing and staying home — must continue in order to stop COVID-19 completely.
CalOptima knows that some members are hesitant about getting vaccinated, so we are working to build trust by sharing educational information and engaging the community organizations they rely on. Useful resources are available on the Orange County Health Care Agency website.
While we are focused on COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of the related need for emergency and preventive care. It remains important to seek urgent or emergency medical care, if needed. Do not delay obtaining services, and do not put off getting routine checkups and screenings. Providers have implemented practices to keep patients safe as they seek services to restore or maintain their health, and telemedicine visits are also widely available.
Thank you to CalOptima’s thousands of provider partners for their amazing, selfless work in 2020. While this work is not done, the vaccine will move us closer to a future when we can again gather with extended family and friends. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021!
Emily Fonda, M.D.
Interim Chief Medical Officer
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DHCS COVID-19 Vaccine Administration FAQ |
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The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking federal approval to help support delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine to all Medi-Cal beneficiaries. The vaccine will be provided at no cost to all Californians.
DHCS will follow California’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, which was approved by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). It calls for implementation in several phases: pre-vaccine; limited doses available; larger number of doses available; and sufficient supply of doses available for the entire population.
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CVS and Walgreens to Provide COVID-19 Vaccines
to Select Groups
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California has opted in to the federal COVID-19 Pharmacy Partnership. At no cost to the state or local government, CVS and Walgreens will administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to residents in long-term care facilities and staff.
The vaccines will be administered by pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses. Pharmacy technicians are participating under a recent waiver by the Board of Pharmacy that requires appropriate supervision under California law and specialized training.
Specifically, the program:
- Schedules and coordinates on-site vaccine clinic dates directly with each facility. Pharmacy staff will visit each facility several times to ensure that all residents and employees who wish to be vaccinated get the vaccine.
- Orders vaccines and associated supplies (e.g. syringes, needles, personal protective equipment).
- Ensures cold storage for the vaccine.
- Provides on-site administration of the vaccine to all residents and staff.
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Extension of Southern California Region’s
Stay-at-Home Order Announced
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On December 22, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a Supplement Order that extended the Limited Stay-at-Home Order and will expire only after the Regional Stay-at-Home Order has terminated in all regions in California. The County of Orange, along with 10 other Southern California Counties, were originally placed under the State’s Regional Stay-at-Home Order on December 3, 2020, and will continue per the DCPH’s Supplement Order.
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California’s Safe Schools for All Plan Announced |
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The state's Safe Schools for All Plan was announced on December 30 by Governor Gavin Newsom. It is California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in-person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction. Informed by growing evidence of the decreased risks and increased benefits of in-person instruction — especially for our youngest students — Governor Newsom is advancing a strategy that will help create safe learning environments for students and safe workplaces for educators and other school staff.
California’s Safe Schools for All framework to safe reopening of in-person instruction is built on four pillars:
- Funding to Support Safe Reopening
- Safety and Mitigation Measures for Classrooms
- Hands-on Oversight and Assistance for Schools
- Transparency and Accountability for Families and Staff
For more details click here.
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DMV Offers Online Renewals Driver’s License and ID Card |
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All California driver’s licenses MAY now be renewed online. Your notice may tell you to go into a DMV office but due to special circumstances related to COVID-19, it is recommended to try online first. To locate a kiosk near you, click here.
Click here for more information.
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COVID-19 Resources for Families with Young Children |
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To help families with young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, First5 Orange County has a list of resources. Click here for details.
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Point in Time Count Cancelled Due to COVID-19 |
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of Orange is among several Continuums of Care in Southern California that have been approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to forgo the Unsheltered Count of the 2021 Point In Time
The Point in Time is a biennial effort required by HUD counting people experiencing homelessness in a given point in time during the last 10 days in January.
For additional information about the Continuum of Care, click here.
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CalOptima Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits
Health Rewards Are Ending
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On January 1, 2021, CalOptima no longer offers health rewards for:
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Well-Child Visits
- 4th, 5th and 6th Well-Child Visits
- Annual Well-Care Visits for Ages 12–17
Visits that were completed by December 31, 2020, may still qualify for the health reward(s) that ended. Health reward forms must be mailed or faxed to CalOptima as soon as possible. Gift cards are available while supplies last.
CalOptima members should continue to talk to their child’s primary doctor about the next recommended well-child visit. Well-child visits are recommended at these ages:
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Before 15 months of age: 6 or more preventive well-child visits
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15–30 months of age: 2 or more preventive well-child visits
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3–12 years of age: Annual well-care visits
Well-child visits focus on keeping children healthy. Even if there are no required immunization at the visit, your child should still have a well-child visit with their primary doctor. At the visit, the doctor will:
- Check child’s growth and development.
- Complete a physical exam.
- Perform any recommended screening tests.
- Give recommended shots, if needed.
2021 CalOptima Member Health Rewards Program
CalOptima will continue to offer these Member Health Rewards in 2021:
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Postpartum Checkup
- Diabetes Eye Exam
- Diabetes A1C Test
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Shape Your Life (SYL)
For the most up-to-date information and full eligibility criteria on the 2021 CalOptima Member Health Rewards Program, please click here.
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CalOptima Regulatory Alerts |
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Due to the rapidly changing situation surrounding COVID-19, CalOptima is posting a roundup of federal/state rules, guidance and news related to COVID-19. It will be updated frequently.
Below are the recent COVID-19 Regulatory Highlights:
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CDPH HCF Conference Call Notification – Weekly COVID-19 Update Call Notes (posted 12/24/20 and 12/30/20)
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DHCS California Children’s Services (CCS) Guidance Relative to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (posted 12/29/20)
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DHCS All-Plan Letter (APL) 20-021: Acute Hospital Care at Home (posted 12/29/20)
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CDPH All Facilities Letter – AFL 20-48.3 Transfers to Low Acuity Alternate Care Sites During COVID-19 (posted 12/29/20)
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CMS Contract Year 2021 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Permissive Actions FAQs (posted 12/28/20)
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CDPH Disease Notification - SARS-CoV-2 Virus Variant Identified in the United Kingdom (posted 12/23/20)
Providers and other health care professionals with questions can contact the Provider Relations department by phone at 714-246-8600 or email at providerservices@caloptima.org.
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How to Contact CalOptima During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
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CalOptima Customer Service remains ready to respond to member needs. Members can call Customer Service from the safety of their home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have staff who speak their language.
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Medi-Cal toll-free: 1-888-587-8088
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OneCare Connect toll-free: 1-855-705-8823
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OneCare toll-free: 1-877-412-2734
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TTY 711
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PACE: 1-714-468-1100; toll-free: 1-855-785-2584
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PACE TTY: 1-714-468-1063
Our buildings are closed to members but we are continuing to serve our members through our Customer Service phone lines, as we adhere to guidelines to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transmission.
CalOptima
505 City Parkway West
Orange, CA 92868
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
13300 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92843
County Community Service Center
Limited community partners are providing services on-site. CalOptima services are being provided remotely to ensure the safety of our members and employees.
15496 Magnolia Street, Suite 111
Westminster, CA 92610
For CalOptima specific updates on COVID-19, please visit our home page at www.caloptima.org.
National information can be found on the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) website at www.coronavirus.gov and local information can be found at the Orange County Health Care Agency (OC HCA) website at www.occovid19.ochealthinfo.com.
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