Michael Hunn Appointed Permanent CalOptima CEO |
The CalOptima Board of Directors appointed interim CEO Michael Hunn as permanent CEO of the public agency, effective March 3. Hunn had been serving as interim CEO since November 2021 following the retirement of Richard Sanchez, who had served as an interim and then permanent CEO of CalOptima since April 2020.
Prior to his role at CalOptima, Hunn worked with various local organizations in the health care industry as a CEO for nearly 25 years. He was most recently president of The Hunn Group, providing advisory services to hospitals, health systems, physicians and a variety of health care-related clients. Prior to that, he served as Chief Executive for Providence Health & Services Southern California Region — the second largest health system serving one in four people in Los Angeles County.
“Each and every one of our members is counting on us to be champions for their health, to ease their way, to connect them with the right resources, at the right time, and I’m honored to be given the opportunity to serve them and be held accountable for ensuring we get it right each and every time,” Hunn said. “My past experience has given me an ability to effectively identify and collaborate with providers and administrators, and we’re actively coalition building in Orange County to meet the many needs of our community.”
Hunn served as a governing board member of the Hospital Association of Southern California and was past chairman. He was also a board member of the California Hospital Association and a board secretary as well. He is a past board chairman of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care and the National Health Foundation. Hunn also has a biomedical ethics background, speaking frequently on end-of-life topics and providing CME (continuing medical education) programs to physicians and boards.
“The CalOptima Board is confident that Michael Hunn is the right leader to steer CalOptima through the recent Medi-Cal changes for our residents who are most in need,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, Chair of the CalOptima Board of Directors. “Michael’s expertise in health care policy development, strong reputation for developing and executing strategies, and proven track record of effective leadership will be instrumental in helping us implement and integrate future programs that seek to improve quality of life and the health outcomes in our community.”
Hunn holds an M.A. from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Systematic Theology with a concentration in Morals, focused on biomedical ethics, and a B.A. from Cardinal Glennon College with a major in Philosophy and a minor in American History.
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CalOptima Promotes CalFresh Enrollment to Address Food Insecurity Among Members |
CalOptima has identified more than 340,000 members who may be eligible for CalFresh, which provides monthly food benefits for eligible low-income people. In a unique collaboration to increase CalFresh membership, CalOptima is working with the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) to streamline the enrollment process through an improved phone line transfer between the agencies.
On March 3, CalOptima’s Board of Directors approved up to $2 million for a CalFresh awareness campaign to combat rising food insecurity in its member population. The campaign will encourage enrollment through mail, phone and text message outreach; special events at grocery stores and food banks; and enrollment promotion through health networks, providers and community-based organizations. Depending on their income and expenses, an individual may receive up to $250 and a family of four up to $835 through a CalFresh debit-type card.
“Eating more nutritious food brings significant health benefits, and CalOptima is committed to helping our members access CalFresh to support their overall well-being,” said Richard Pitts, D.O., Ph.D., CalOptima Chief Medical Officer. “This campaign is just one example of how CalOptima is addressing the social determinants of health, which are the non-medical factors that affect members’ lives. Supporting the whole person is a major focus of current efforts to transform and strengthen Medi-Cal.”
“Food insecurity among our most vulnerable Orange County residents worsened during the pandemic,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, Chair of the CalOptima Board of Directors. “As the single largest health insurer in Orange County, CalOptima helps members access the community resources they need to live healthier lives, including having a reliable way to purchase fresher, less processed food options.”
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CalFresh Webinars Highlight Benefits of Healthier Living |
Part of a healthy, active lifestyle is having access to fresh food. CalOptima is taking several steps to ensure members are aware of the CalFresh program, which provides important benefits so they can afford more nutritious food.
As part of that awareness campaign, in April CalOptima is collaborating with SSA, which oversees CalFresh, to host presentations for members in multiple languages about the program and healthy living.
The presentations will be hosted on Zoom on the following dates:
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English — Tuesday, April 12, 6–7 p.m.
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Spanish — Wednesday, April 13, 6–7 p.m.
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Vietnamese — Thursday, April 14, 6–7 p.m.
To access the meeting, click the Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3rUOAlq. The webinar ID number is 983 5406 6514 and the passcode is 571309.
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Virtual Learn Meeting to Cover Important Provider Topics |
CalOptima’s Provider Relations team invites all Community Network providers to a virtual learn meeting on March 30 at noon to learn about to discuss available provider supports and important updates.
The one-hour session will cover topics such as the Annual Wellness Visit toolkit, 120-day Staying Healthy Assessment requirements and updates on the Provider Portal, CalAIM and Behavioral Health. Providers, physicians, office managers, back-office billing staff and authorization staff are all invited to attend.
To dial into the meeting, call 312-757-3121 and use access code 378-816-365.
To join from a video conferencing room or system, dial or type 67.217.95.2 or inroomlink.goto.com. The meeting ID is 378 816 365. Or dial directly with 378816365@67.217.95.2 or 67.217.95.2##378816365.
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Quality Improvement Postcard Shares How to Provide Gender Affirming Care |
DHCS is sharing a series of Quality Improvement (QI) postcards with relevant information about health care concerns.
A postcard covering Gender Affirming Care for the LGBTQIA+ community was released at the beginning of March. This postcard provides training for providers on how to appropriately communicate and apply best practices when treating gender-diverse members. Also included are tips for addressing the unique challenges and barriers faced by racial and ethnic minority groups within the LGBTQIA+ community.
To view the full Gender Affirming Care QI postcard, please click here.
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Provider Advisory Committee Seeking Applicants for Open Seats |
CalOptima's Provider Advisory Committee (PAC) is currently seeking applications to fill six open seats for a term starting July 1, 2022, and running through June 30, 2025.
The PAC is composed of 15 seats representing diverse provider constituencies, including health plans, hospitals, physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, long-term care services and community health centers. PAC members advise the CalOptima Board of Directors and staff and are charged with:
- Providing advice and recommendations to the Board on issues concerning CalOptima programs as directed by the Board
- Engaging in study, research and analysis of issues assigned by the Board or generated by the individual committees
- Serving as a liaison between interested parties and the Board
- Assisting the Board in obtaining public opinion on issues relating to CalOptima programs
- Initiating recommendations on issues for study to the Board for their approval and consideration
- Facilitating community outreach for CalOptima and the Board
The following seats are available:
- Allied Health Services representative
- Long-Term Services and Supports representative
- Non-physician medical practitioner representative
- Pharmacy representative
- Physician representative (two seats)
Service on the PAC is voluntary with no salary. All appointments to the committee will be subject to OIG/GSA verification and possible background checks.
Interested individuals with knowledge of Medi-Cal and Medicare programs should download an application from CalOptima’s website by clicking here.
Please mail, fax or email the completed application, along with a biography and two letters of reference, by March 31, 2022, to:
CalOptima
Attn: Cheryl Simmons
505 City Parkway West
Orange, CA 92868
For any question, please contact Cheryl Simmons at 714-347-5785.
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OneCare Connect Focuses on Kidney Disease for March |
For March, OneCare Connect is focusing on kidney disease and nutrition by reminding providers to coordinate a member's Annual Wellness Visit with a face-to-face chronic disease management visit.
When holding a disease management visit, write or include in your electronic health record encounter notes glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) and other relevant lab results, including the date of service, that were used as part of your medical decision making. Please document each condition status and how the conditions are being managed.
For reference, please review the code tables for kidney disease here.
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APLs Gives Guidance on Community Supports, Medi-Cal COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Program |
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Policy and Procedures Monthly Update |
Click on the link below to find an outline of changes made to CalOptima policies and procedures during February 2022. The full description of the policies below is available on CalOptima’s website at www.caloptima.org.
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Health Education: Trainings and Meetings |
Click below for a list of training webinars and links happening in March 2022:
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Based on the Medi-Cal bulletins and Newsflashes, CalOptima has updated the procedure codes for the subjects listed below:
• New COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Codes
• Correction: 2022 HCPCS Annual Update Code Removals
• CTRC Full Gene Sequence Added as a Medi-Cal Benefit
• Every Woman Counts Approved CPT Codes and Appropriate ICD-10-CM Codes Update
• Additional Provider Type for ALW Nursing Facility Transition Rate Increase
• Modifying Acceptance and Processing of Approved LOA Documents
• Postpartum Care Expansion
• Updates to the List of Contracted Tracheostomy Supplies
• Hearing Aid Batteries are a Covered HACCP Benefit Under Aid Code A1
• DUR Resources Transitioning to Medi-Cal Rx
• Age Restrictions Removed for Aid Code 8E
• Home Health Agency Providers May Be Reimbursed for COVID-19 Vaccine
• Pharmacy Providers to Bill Medi-Cal Rx for COVID-19 Vaccine Administration
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- CalOptima Board of Directors: April 7 at 2 p.m.
- CalOptima Provider Advisory Committee: April 14 at 8 a.m.
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Follow CalOptima on Social Media |
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CalOptima regularly posts on social media to engage members with heath tips, community resources, event dates, program updates and other pertinent information. Follow the agency on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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CalOptima, A Public Agency www.caloptima.org
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