Promising Practices from California’s Health Homes Program
Over the last several years, Aurrera Health Group has supported the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs) with implementing the state’s Health Homes Program (HHP). The HHP is a Medi-Cal program that helps manage and coordinate care for members with certain chronic health and/or mental health conditions who have high health care needs and/or who are experiencing chronic homelessness. The HHP is administered by 17 MCPs and a network of health care and social service providers (Community-Based Care Management Entities, or CB-CMEs) in 12 counties across California.Aurrera Health Group hosts a Learning Collaborative for MCPs and other stakeholders to share lessons learned and promising practices and has developed toolkits for MCPs, health care providers, and HHP members. Our team also conducts on-the-ground outreach to educate stakeholders about the HHP.We are excited to share some recent updates regarding this work:
HHP Implementation Update
DHCS and Aurrera Health Group published an Implementation Update on the program’s progress to date:
As of March 2020, 27,258 Medi-Cal members have enrolled in the HHP across 12 participating California counties.
Early data on the number of HHP members who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness.
The importance of the HHP during the COVID-19 public health emergency in keeping Medi-Cal members connected to medical care and social supports.
Although the HHP is authorized through 2021, in 2019, DHCS announced plans to replace the program with a new statewide Medi-Cal managed care benefit called Enhanced Care Management (ECM) as part of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Initiative. CalAIM will build on the positive outcomes and lessons learned from the HHP, as well as the state’s groundbreaking Whole Person Care pilot program. Due to their complex health conditions, HHP members would be automatically enrolled to receive ECM benefits, which are similar to the services received through the HHP, but offered through a new service delivery and payment structure.
HHP Promising Practices Paper
Earlier this year, Aurrera Health Group released California’s Health Homes Program: Lessons Learned and Promising Practices. The paper focuses on key lessons learned and promising practices from the HHP that were identified during the Learning Collaborative sessions and discussions with the MCPs, DHCS, and community-based organizations.Promising practices from the program include:
Invest in HHP Infrastructure. Build and invest in a CB-CME network that is ready and able to effectively provide HHP services, which requires frequent MCP – CB-CME communication and ongoing training, education, and technical support.
Focus on Outreach and Engagement. Identify eligible members, implement patient-centered outreach strategies, and collaborate with local organizations to engage hard-to-reach members.
Use Tailored Outreach Strategies for Special Populations. Use additional and creative outreach strategies to reach members with severe mental illness, those experiencing homelessness, and other special populations.
Rely on Data. Establish data-sharing agreements and use innovative systems to track members’ HHP status (e.g., enrollment, CB-CME assignment, etc.), and create dashboards and reports to share important HHP information.
The HHP continues to meet the growing needs of members and new challenges associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency. As we look to the future, the positive outcomes and lessons learned from the HHP will inform the future of Medi-Cal.