The CalOptima Board of Directors has approved three primary uses for intergovernmental transfer (IGT) funds amounting to $12.4 million, and has directed staff to return in April/May with an implementation plan.

The hospital community weighed in on the IGT discussion last fall with recommendations for the use of those funds. Complex case management, identified by hospitals and others, was at the top of the list for initiatives to be undertaken with these funds. The third use approved by the CalOptima Board relates to expanded access, including expanded hours of operation and expanded care sites.

In its communication to the CalOptima Board of Directors last fall, HASC urged consideration of the following key points:

• Create and support an outreach program for management of high-risk members in need of comprehensive care management, including outpatient ambulatory care, medication compliance, follow-up appointments, etc.
• Create and support innovative ideas that facilitate timely discharge of complex patients from acute care hospital settings into appropriate post-hospital care settings, including the use of specialized case management personnel and competitively negotiated and secured skilled nursing facility (SNF) beds.

Contact: Julie Puentes
(714) 663-0294, jpuentes@hasc.org