Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5 Vote
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Ken Cole, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Acceptance of grant funding in the amount of $778,231 for FY 2019-21 from the Department of Health Care Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The Director of the Human Services Agency (HSA), or Director’s designee, to accept and implement the grant award from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to support the Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project for $778,231 for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021; and
B) The Director of HSA, or Director’s designee, to accept future awards and/or amendments from DHCS that are consistent with the requirements of the grant award that may extend the term for two additional years, at amounts to be determined by DHCS, reflect non-material and/or ministerial revisions to the awards terms and conditions, allow for the rollover of unspent funds and/or redirection of funds, adjust the term of the award for an additional six months, and/or provide an increase or decrease in funding, subject to review and approval by County Counsel, and notification to your Board; and
C) An Appropriation Transfer Request in the amount of $200,000 from unanticipated revenue to corresponding appropriations in salaries and benefits and services and supplies.
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BACKGROUND:
California Assembly Bill 74 (AB 74) enacted on June 27, 2019, authorizes DHCS to manage and allocate funding to support health enrollment navigators for two years to provide Medi-Cal outreach, enrollment, retention and utilization assistance to underserved Californians. The goal of the AB 74 funds is to connect uninsured residents to healthcare and aid with navigating the healthcare system.
On September 13, 2019, DHCS released the Medi-Cal Health Enrollment Navigators Project (the “Navigators Project”) to survey the counties and other entities. The purpose of the survey was to measure the level of interest and need for funding and to apply for allocations to support the project locally. The Human Services Agency (HSA) responded to the survey to provide information. On January 15, 2020, DHCS notified HSA that it was a recipient of the grant award in the amount of $778,231 to assist with outreach, enrollment, and retention activities for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021.
DISCUSSION:
Approval of Recommendation A of this memo will allow the Director of HSA, or the Director’s designee, to accept the Medi-Cal award from DHCS, which will support the Medi-Cal outreach, enrollment and retention services project in San Mateo County. The grant will be used to increase HSA’s Medi-Cal retention rate; increase HSA’s Medi-Cal outreach efforts to get a higher number of eligible county residents on aid; and to hire three additional term Community Workers to join the current Outreach team. The outreach team will identify the most common reasons for Medi-Cal discontinuance and work to decrease the number to ensure eligible clients remain aided. In addition, the team will do intensive outreach to recently discontinued clients in our target populations to reinstate Medi-Cal. The outreach team will identify populations that are harder to reach and work to eliminate barriers for those populations. HSA will develop outreach materials and increase outreach activities through facilitation of and/or attendance at community events.
Approval of Recommendation B of this memo will allow the Director of HSA, or the Director’s designee, to accept future awards and/or amendments from DHCS that are consistent with the requirements of the grant award that may extend the term for two additional years, at amounts to be determined by DHCS, reflect non-material and/or ministerial revisions to the awards terms and conditions, allow for the rollover of unspent funds and/or redirection of funds, adjust the term of the award for an additional six months, and/or provide an increase or decrease in funding. This recommended action will enable HSA to accept future awards, and/or amendments that adjust the period up to six months, in those instances where there has been an unanticipated extension of the term to allow additional time to complete services and utilize funding.
Approval of Recommendation C of this memo will allow the agency to appropriate funding necessary to implement the Navigators Project.
By the end of the funding term on December 31, 2021, HSA anticipates it will have increased Medi-Cal enrollment by 2,625 and will have been able to retain 625 clients that would otherwise have been discontinued. All outreach and retention efforts made during the Navigators Project will be tracked and sent to DHCS monthly.
County Council has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The DHCS grant award, in the amount of $778,231, is for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021. There is no Net County Cost. The ATR recognizes and appropriates $200,000 for initial project implementation in FY 2019-20. Funding will be appropriated in the FY 2020-21 Revised Budget and the FY 2021-22 Recommended Budget to allow HSA to utilize the remaining $578,231 in grant funding.