DATE: August 11, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding with Managed Care Plans; Blue Cross of California Partnership Plan, Inc. dba Anthem, Fresno-Kings-Madera Regional Health Authority dba CalViva Health and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Blue Cross of California Partnership Plan, Inc. dba Anthem (Anthem), Fresno-Kings-Madera Regional Health Authority dba CalViva Health (CalViva Health), and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (Kaiser), for the coordination of services to individuals who are County Child Welfare involved and/or receive foster care services effective upon execution by all parties with unlimited (12) month auto-renewals unless terminated by either party ($0).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Social Services to coordinate care with Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCPs) for Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are enrolled, or eligible to enroll, in MCPs and who are County Child Welfare involved and/or receive foster care services. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternate action. This MOU is a requirement from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. This MOU is for care coordination purposes only.
DISCUSSION:
In 2023, the DHCS began rolling out their California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program initiatives. CalAIM initiatives include changes to billing and eligible services covered under Medi-Cal, increases to the eligible population, heightened cooperation and coordination requirements between health plans, providers, public agencies, and a focus on coordinated, person-centered, care.
As part of this initiative the State of California, through its contract with the MCPs requires MCPs to enter into “Third Party” MOUs, including with County Child Welfare Departments. The MOUs are intended to be effective tools to clarify roles and responsibilities between MCPs and Third Parties, support local engagement, and facilitate care coordination and the exchange of information necessary to enable care coordination and improve referral processes. To ensure youth and families served by the Department can positively gain from the required coordination and additional services, the Department has concurrently been working internally to ensure processes support evaluation of keeping a child in a managed care plan or fee-for-service Medi-Cal structure.
This contract does not follow the County standard boilerplate as the contract is required to be based on a template provided by DHCS. On October 11, 2023, DHCS released APL-23-029 which provided instructions and templates for the required MOUs. MCPs and County Child Welfare Departments were instructed to use Attachment B: Bespoke Template provided with the APL. On August 11, 2025, DHCS released a revision to APL 23-029 providing an updated Attachment B: County Social Services Agencies for Child Welfare Memorandum of Understanding Template. This template was used as the basis for this MOU.
The Department is requesting this MOU be executed as an “evergreen” agreement due to the MOU between the County and MCPs being a requirement by DHCS for the foreseeable future. This MOU shall become effective upon execution and shall automatically be extended for an unlimited number of years upon the same terms and conditions, unless written notice of termination is given by either party with 90 days’ notice, or immediately upon mutual agreement by the parties or if required by law.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - MOU with Anthem, CalViva Health, and Kaiser
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander