Aug. 23, 2018

The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) has released a whitepaper on Medi-Cal Moves Addiction Treatment into the Mainstream, which outlines the experiences of four counties that opted into the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) waiver model.

The implementation of the DMC-ODS model is part of the state’s efforts to create a more organized system for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, modeled after the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s criteria for SUD treatment. The DMC-ODS model gives counties more autonomy to select and establish relationships with providers, and adds additional support services to the Drug Medi-Cal benefit.

The publication examines the overall DMC-ODS framework and the lessons learned by counties — Los Angeles, Marin, Riverside, and Santa Clara. The paper also includes county-designated strategies for start-up successes and challenges within the DMC-ODS program.