California Department of Social Services - State Hearings Division
Notes from the Training Bureau - April 14, 1997

Senate Bill 1393 (enacted in 1996) allows for the voluntary enrollment of foster care children into the managed care plans in the 14 counties with a Two-Plan model or a Geographic Managed Care (GMC) plan model. This ACWDL advised counties of CDHS’s decision to extend this policy to children receiving Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) benefits.

In the twelve (12) counties implementing the Two-Plan model, most AFDC linked Medi-Cal beneficiaries must enroll in one of two managed care plans. The Two-Plan model was implemented in Alameda and Kern counties and will be implemented in the other ten counties in 1997.

In the two (2) GMC counties (Sacramento and San Diego) AFDC linked Medi-Cal beneficiaries may choose one of several managed care plans. Sacramento County implemented GMC in 1994 and San Diego County expects to implement GMC in 1997.

This ACWDL does not apply to the five (5) County Organized Health Systems (COHS) counties (Orange, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara). In a COHS county, there is only one managed care plan in the county. AFDC linked Medi-Cal beneficiaries, including foster care and AAP children, will continue to be automatically enrolled in the COHS and must use COHS providers.