California Medi-Cal Guidance on Implementing Traditional Health Care Practices Benefit

Tribal health programs and Urban Indian Organizations in California that want to provide traditional health care practices to Medi-Cal members will likely want to review the Department of Health Care Services’ most recent guidance on the topic, DHCS Behavioral Health Information Notice 25-007 and attachments. The guidance is lengthy and addresses, among other issues, the Medi-Cal members who are eligible to receive those services; the reimbursement rate (not all traditional health care practices will be reimbursed at the IHS All-Inclusive Rate); provider qualifications; and the use of telehealth to deliver traditional health care practices. Under the terms of the approval from CMS, Medi-Cal can cover traditional health care practices through December 2026. California joins several other states — Arizona, Oregon, and New Mexico — in ongoing efforts to develop the use of culturally-based practices in healthcare.