Report 2013-125 Recommendation 14 Responses
Report 2013-125: California Department of Health Care Services: Weaknesses in Its Medi-Cal Dental Program Limit Children's Access to Dental Care (Release Date: December 2014)
Recommendation #14 To: Health Care Services, Department of
To improve beneficiary utilization rates and provider participation under the program's fee-for-service delivery system, Health Care Services should immediately take the following actions: review Delta Dental's outreach activities and implement measurable objectives for its outreach unit.
1-Year Agency Response
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is in receipt of Delta Dental's provider and beneficiary outreach and education plans (outreach plans) and has confirmed the presence of measurable objectives within each plan. DHCS will be performing ongoing monitoring of these objectives throughout plan implementation.
- Completion Date: May 2015
- Response Date: December 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented
In December 2015, Health Care Services approved Delta Dental's plan for outreach and education and for provider outreach and utilization improvement. Objectives mentioned in these plans included increasing beneficiary utilization in each underserved county by at least one percent the first year, by a total of four percent by the end of year two, and by two percent each year thereafter for a total of ten percent over the course of five years.
6-Month Agency Response
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is in receipt of Delta Dental's provider and beneficiary outreach and education plans (outreach plans) and has confirmed the presence of measurable objectives within each plan. DHCS will be performing ongoing monitoring of these objectives throughout plan implementation.
- Completion Date: May 2015
- Response Date: July 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented
Health Care Services provided the 2015 provider and beneficiary outreach and education plans. Although these plans contain measurable objectives, Health Care Services has not yet approved these plans and Delta Dental has not yet implemented them. Health Care Services stated that workgroups will be convened in September 2015 and that revisions to the plans will be based on workgroup input. Plan approval by Health Care Services will then follow. Health Care Services also stated that Delta Dental will be directed to implement the plans immediately upon finalization.
60-Day Agency Response
DHCS is working with Delta Dental to ensure the annual outreach plan contains measurable objectives for its outreach unit. The DHCS is in receipt of the initial outreach plan draft and is in the process of evaluating the extent to which the proposed activities are measurable in order to comply with this recommendation. The DHCS intends to adhere to the established July 1, 2015 implementation date.
- Estimated Completion Date: July 2015
- Response Date: February 2015
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Partially Implemented
All Recommendations in 2013-125
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.