14132.36. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 21, Sec. 102.)

(a) Community health worker services are a covered Medi-Cal benefit.

(b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Community health worker” means a liaison, link, or intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and to improve the access and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker is a frontline health worker either trusted by, or who has a close understanding of, the community served. Community health workers include Promotores, Promotores de Salud, Community Health Representatives, navigators, and other nonlicensed health workers, including violence prevention professionals. A community health worker’s lived experience shall align with and provide a connection to the community being served.

(2) “Supervising provider” is an enrolled Medi-Cal provider that is authorized to supervise a community health worker pursuant to the federally approved Medicaid state plan amendment and that ensures that a community health worker meets the qualifications as required by the department. The supervising provider directly or indirectly oversees community health workers and the services that they deliver to Medi-Cal members.

(c) A Medi-Cal managed care plan shall engage in outreach and education efforts to enrollees in a form and manner as directed by the department. At a minimum, the department shall require a Medi-Cal managed care plan to provide the following information to an enrollee:

(1) A description of the community health worker services benefit, including eligibility and coverage criteria.

(2) A list of providers that are authorized to refer an enrollee to community health worker services, and an explanation of how to request a referral.

(3) A list of contracted community health worker entities, including community-based organizations, community clinics, local health jurisdictions, licensed providers, clinics, or hospitals available to provide community health worker services, updated at least annually.

(4) An email address, internet website, and telephone number for an enrollee to access to request additional information regarding community health worker services.

(d) The outreach and education efforts conducted by a Medi-Cal managed care plan pursuant to subdivision (c) shall meet cultural and linguistic appropriateness standards, as determined by the department.

(e) The Medi-Cal managed care plan shall notify providers about the community health worker services benefit, as set forth by the department.

(f) (1) No later than July 1, 2025, a Medi-Cal managed care plan shall adopt policies and procedures to effectuate a billing pathway for supervising providers, including contracted hospitals, to claim for the provision of community health worker services to enrollees during an emergency department visit and an outpatient followup to an emergency department visit, that are consistent with guidance developed by the department pursuant to paragraph (2).

(2) No later than July 1, 2025, the department shall, consistent with subdivision (g), develop guidance on policies and procedures to effectuate a billing pathway for supervising providers, including contracted hospitals, to claim for the provision of community health worker services to Medi-Cal members under the fee-for-service delivery system during an emergency department visit and as an outpatient followup to an emergency department visit.

(g) The department shall, through existing and regular stakeholder processes, inform stakeholders about, and accept input from stakeholders on, implementation of the community health worker services benefit.

(h) This section shall be implemented only to the extent that federal financial participation is available and not otherwise jeopardized, and any necessary federal approvals have been obtained.

(i) Notwithstanding Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the department may implement, interpret, or make specific this section by means of policy letters, provider bulletins, or other similar instructions, without taking any further regulatory action.