Press Release

Kelly Bruno-Nelson joins CalOptima as Executive Director, Medi-Cal/CalAIM, a new leadership role to focus on oversight of the agency’s main health plan and its further development through the statewide California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative. Bruno-Nelson brings more than 25 years of experience serving vulnerable populations in Southern California through innovative work in health care and nonprofit organizations.

The COVID-19 supplemental payment increase of up to 7.5% will fund efforts by CalOptima-contracted providers to promote and administer COVID-19 vaccinations, cover increased costs for testing and treatment, and help address additional variants of the COVID-19 virus. The payments will be made for a full year, from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. The Board first approved supplemental payments in 2020 after recognizing the additional strain put on providers by the pandemic and the potential for interruption in necessary Medi-Cal services. This financial support also supports the health care safety net generally, given that CalOptima membership grew 23% during the pandemic to nearly 900,000.

“COVID-19 cases are fluctuating, and providers are continuing to grapple with the pandemic. CalOptima wants to support our partners with the resources they need to ensure quality care for our vulnerable member population,” said Michael Hunn, CalOptima Chief Executive Officer. “The supplemental funding will provide stability for the health care system as we prepare to transition out of the Public Health Emergency.”

CalOptima’s Medicare programs include OneCare (HMO SNP), OneCare Connect Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan) and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The programs are subject to 2% federal cuts that total $6 million annually. The Board voted to protect providers from this reduction particularly during this time as CalOptima will transition approximately 14,500 members from OneCare Connect to OneCare on January 1, 2023. California is closing Cal MediConnect Plans as part of a larger initiative known as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM).

Bruno-Nelson holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Azusa Pacific University and a master’s degree in social work from California State University, Long Beach. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in social work from University of Southern California.

A county organized health system, CalOptima provides publicly funded health care coverage for low-income children, adults, seniors and people with disabilities in Orange County, California. CalOptima’s mission is to serve member health with excellence and dignity, respecting the value and needs of each person. In total, CalOptima serves more than 880,000 members with a network of more than 10,400 primary care doctors and specialists as well as 41 acute and rehab hospitals.