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Sharing the latest news

At CalOptima Health, we’re proud to tell our story. We work hard to make sure local stakeholders and the media understand how we serve our members and the vital role we play in the community. Here are links to press releases with the latest information about CalOptima Health.

CalOptima Health Gives $25m to Bolster Safety Net, Reduce Health Disparities and Ease Workforce Shortages ORANGE, Calif. (April 9, 2024)
CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors has approved nearly $25 million in workforce education grants to seven institutions in Orange County. These grants mark the first phase of the $50 million Provider Workforce Development Initiative, the largest workforce grant ever awarded by CalOptima Health. The Initiative will help to address health disparities and better secure the future delivery of medical and behavioral health care by safety net providers. It also seeks to ease predicted shortages and gaps in the Orange County health care workforce that serves the Medi-Cal population.

CalOptima Health Approves Medical Providers for Expanded Street Medicine Program ORANGE, Calif. (March 12, 2024)
The CalOptima Health Board of Directors has approved Healthcare in Action and Celebrating Life Health Center to deliver essential medical services for the unhoused through CalOptima Health’s expanded Street Medicine Program in Anaheim and Costa Mesa.

CalOptima Health Creates Innovative Partnership with Local Public Housing Authorities ORANGE, Calif. (March 7, 2024)
CalOptima Health has teamed up with Orange County’s four Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to streamline the Medi-Cal application process and enhance health care access for residents. This partnership aims to ensure that individuals receiving or applying for rental assistance can swiftly apply for Medi-Cal and access community support services.

CalOptima Health Expands Street Medicine to Anaheim and Costa Mesa ORANGE, Calif. (February 27, 2024)
CalOptima Health is pleased to announce the expansion of its Street Medicine Program to Anaheim and Costa Mesa, following its initial success in Garden Grove. The program will directly provide urgent care medical services and social services to the unhoused on the streets in partnership with these cities.

CalOptima Health Program for Seniors Earns Top Satisfaction Score ORANGE, Calif. (February 16, 2024)
Orange County seniors in CalOptima Health’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) are highly satisfied with the comprehensive, community-based health care program, awarding it a 94% overall satisfaction rating for 2023 — the second-highest score among 20 PACE organizations statewide. CalOptima Health PACE’s score is five percentage points higher than the aggregate California PACE Association (CalPACE) statewide score of 89%.

$15 Million in Grant Funding Available for Programs to Support Early Cancer Screening and Detection ORANGE, Calif. (February 8, 2024)
CalOptima Health has announced $15 million in first-round grant funding to increase early detection and reduce late-stage diagnoses of breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer among its Medi-Cal members. The Board of Directors approved this funding as part of the five-year, $50.1 million Comprehensive Community Cancer Screening and Support Program to improve quality and the member experience during cancer screening and treatment.

CalOptima Health Secures First-Ever Appointment to Orange County’s Commission to End Homelessness ORANGE, Calif. (January 23, 2024)
CalOptima Health is pleased to announce that the Orange County Board of Supervisors has appointed Kelly Bruno-Nelson, MSW, Executive Director of Medi-Cal and California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), to the Commission to End Homelessness (Commission). Bruno-Nelson will serve in the newly designated Medi-Cal managed care health plan seat for a two-year term, ending January 22, 2026. This demonstrates the increasing role of Medi-Cal health plans in serving individuals experiencing homelessness.

$10 Million in Grant Funding Available for Programs that Provide Education for Health Care Providers ORANGE, Calif. (January 3, 2024)
CalOptima Health has announced $10 million in grant funding for Orange County schools, colleges and universities with programs that support and educate nurses and other health care professionals. This investment is part of a five-year, $50 million Provider Workforce Development strategic initiative to address health disparities and support community health centers and safety net providers.

CalOptima Health CEO Michael Hunn Appointed to the California Association of Health Plans Board of Directors ORANGE, Calif. (November 16, 2023)
CalOptima Health Chief Executive Officer Michael Hunn was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the California Association of Health Plans (CAHP). Hunn joins the Board which represents large national health plans with products for commercial employers and individual markets as well as health plans that operate public programs such as Medicare and Medi-Cal.

CalOptima Health Pace Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary ORANGE, Calif. (October 30, 2023)
October marks 10 years for CalOptima Health PACE, Orange County’s first Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. At the forefront of serving a growing aging population, CalOptima Health PACE has cared for more than 1,000 older adults who qualify for nursing home level of care but want to remain living at home and can do so by attending a PACE Program. Designed for those covered by Medicare and Medi-Cal, the program delivers high-quality, personalized, and culturally appropriate care to improve seniors’ health and quality of life while living at home.

CalOptima Health to Expand Street Medicine Program ORANGE, Calif. (October 17, 2023)
After the successful launch of a Street Medicine Program in the City of Garden Grove, CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors approved a process to expand to two additional Orange County cities and identify providers to deliver the services. The Board’s action anticipates that Street Medicine Programs will launch in the selected new cities in spring 2024. The $10 million expansion is part of CalOptima Health’s ongoing investment in homeless health initiatives.

CalOptima Health Awards $52.3 Million to Build 706 Permanent Housing Units for the Unhoused ORANGE, Calif. (October 11, 2023)
Reflecting CalOptima Health’s ongoing commitment to Orange County’s vulnerable population of people experiencing homelessness, the Board of Directors approved awarding $52.3 million in grants to accelerate the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing units. Fifteen organizations were selected to receive funds that will be used to acquire, construct and upgrade a total of 706 housing units.

CalOptima Health’s Carmen Katsarov Named to Governor’s Behavioral Health Task Force ORANGE, Calif. (October 4, 2023)
Carmen Katsarov, LPCC, CCM, CalOptima Health’s Executive Director of Behavioral Health Integration, has been named to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Behavioral Health Task Force. Starting this month, she will participate in the task force’s quarterly meetings to tackle statewide behavioral health issues and develop solutions to improve mental health resources.

Dr. Michaell Silva Rose Joins CalOptima Health as Chief Health Equity Officer ORANGE, Calif. (September 25, 2023)
CalOptima Health is pleased to welcome Michaell Silva Rose, DrPH, LCSW, beginning today, as Chief Health Equity Officer, a new leadership role aimed at increasing health equity for our insured members. The California Department of Health Care Services has asked all Medi-Cal managed care plans to appoint a Chief Health Equity Officer by January 1, 2024.

CalOptima Health is a 4-Star Medi-Cal Plan in California ORANGE, Calif. (September 15, 2023)
CalOptima Health is pleased to announce its rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars in the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Medicaid Health Plan Ratings 2023. This is the ninth year in a row that CalOptima Health is among the top plans in the state, representing sustained leadership in serving its Medi-Cal insured members. CalOptima Health provides health insurance to about 980,000 individuals, which represents nearly 1 in 3 Orange County residents.

CalOptima Health Board Approves the Acquisition of First-Ever Street Medicine Support Center ORANGE, Calif. (September 12, 2023)
CalOptima Health plans to acquire, renovate and open a 52-room Street Medicine Support Center in Garden Grove to house individuals, mainly older adults, who qualify and are referred to this housing by our Street Medicine clinical team. The CalOptima Health Board of Directors approved $18.5 million to directly address the housing crisis for CalOptima Health members experiencing homelessness.

CalOptima Health Back-To-School Event Helps Families, Children with Healthy Resources and Medi-Cal Renewal ORANGE, Calif. (August 22, 2023)
To help families prepare their children for the beginning of the new school year, CalOptima Health is hosting a Back-to-School event to celebrate and promote community health and wellness. The event is this Saturday, August 26, from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at St. Anthony Claret Catholic Church at 1450 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim.

CalOptima Health Board of Directors Approves $15 Million to Fight Opioid Overdose Deaths in Orange County ORANGE, Calif. (August 8, 2023)
To protect members against the tragic effects of the opioid epidemic, CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors has approved spending $15 million from financial reserves to purchase and distribute life-saving naloxone. This unprecedented investment by a Medicaid health plan reflects CalOptima Health’s commitment to combating the opioid epidemic on a local level.

County Supervisor and CalOptima Health Partner on Major Event to Support Access to Health Insurance ORANGE, Calif. (July 25, 2023)
To raise awareness about Medi-Cal renewal and support families in need, Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento and CalOptima Health are hosting a major community event on Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ponderosa Park and Family Resource Center in Anaheim. The event comes at a critical time for ensuring that thousands of Orange County residents maintain their access to health insurance.

CalOptima Health Allocates $107.5 Million to Support Provider Rates and Member Care During the Transition Out of the Public Health Emergency ORANGE, Calif. (June 28, 2023)
Rate increases for Medi-Cal health networks, community clinics and fee-for-service providers offered from July 2023 to August 2024.

CalOptima Health Continues Accelerated Distribution of Reserve Funds, Announces $52.3 Million For Homeless Housing ORANGE, Calif. (June 6, 2023)
An additional $11.5 million supports system change projects to strengthen homeless services.

CalOptima Health Creates First Stipend Program for Master of Social Work Students at Cal State Fullerton ORANGE, Calif. (May 16, 2023)
Funding of $5 million will support more than 100 students across the next five years.

CalOptima Health Addresses Youth Mental Health Crisis with $25.5 Million for School Interventions ORANGE, Calif. (May 8, 2023)
Funding will support new mental health resources for nearly half a million Orange County students.

CalOptima Health Announces Implementation of State Audit Recommendations ORANGE, Calif. (May 2, 2023)
CalOptima Health today announced the implementation of recommendations made by the California State Auditor in a recently released report. The comprehensive audit reviewed an eight-year lookback period from January 2014, when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was implemented, through June 2022.

CalOptima Health Appoints Chief Strategy Officer And Executive Director Of Medicare Programs ORANGE, Calif. (April 27, 2023)
CalOptima Health added two new leaders with decades of health care industry experience to the agency’s executive leadership team.

CalOptima Health Partners With Healthcare In Action To Launch First Street Medicine Program In Garden Grove ORANGE, Calif. (April 4, 2023)
CalOptima Health, in partnership with the City of Garden Grove and Healthcare in Action, launched Orange County’s first street medicine program on April 1 to deliver comprehensive health care to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Medi-Cal Renewals Will Impact Nearly 1 Million Orange County Residents And Put Health Coverage At Risk ORANGE, Calif. (March 21, 2023)
Medi-Cal members will soon be required to verify their eligibility for the program. The annual renewal process, which was suspended during the pandemic, could result in thousands of people losing their health care coverage.

CalOptima Health Warns Members About Unauthorized Door-To-Door Solicitors ORANGE, Calif. (March 14, 2023)
CalOptima Health has received numerous reports from our members about unauthorized solicitations at their apartments and homes.

CalOptima Health Awards $29.9 Million in Grants to Boost Services for Orange County's Homeless ORANGE, Calif. (March 8, 2023)
Reflecting CalOptima Health’s commitment to Orange County’s vulnerable population of people experiencing homelessness, the Board of Directors approved awarding $29.9 million in grants to 29 organizations, including its first-ever funds for permanent supportive housing.

CalOptima Health Appoints Three New Medical Directors ORANGE, Calif. (February 1, 2023)
To continuously strengthen the quality of care, CalOptima Health appointed in January three new medical directors who bring a broad range of medical management expertise to benefit the agency’s nearly 945,000 members.

CalOptima Health Partners With NAMI OC For Mental Health Program Supporting Hospital Discharges ORANGE, Calif. (December 7, 2022)
CalOptima Health has formed a partnership with National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Orange County to launch a peer support program for Medi-Cal members recently discharged from a psychiatric inpatient hospital stay or emergency room visit.