Read our 2026 Community Impact Report
Central California Alliance for Health has released its 2026 Community Impact Report, highlighting investments made in 2025 to strengthen the regional health care system, expand access to care and improve health equity across our five-county service area.
As the Alliance marks 30 years as a regional Medi-Cal managed care plan, this year’s report reflects continued collaboration with providers and community partners to address both clinical care and the social drivers of health that affect our members.
Key highlights include:
- $44.9 million in total investments through the Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program and state incentive programs.
- 85 health care professionals recruited, helping reduce average wait times by 34% and improving timely access to care.
- 106 new Community Health Worker (CHW) graduates supported through tuition scholarships, strengthening community-based member navigation and care coordination.
- 150+ outreach events and 100+ pop-ups to connect members with Medi-Cal resources.
- 40+ regional collaboratives supporting county-level planning and cross-sector coordination.
- Continued investments in clinic expansion, diagnostic technology, transportation capacity and sustainable early childhood programs.
These efforts would not be possible without the partnership and leadership of our provider network. Together, we are building a stronger system of care that supports whole-person health and improves outcomes for Medi-Cal members across Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to serving our communities.
Neurodiversity celebration: screening and individualized supports
When someone’s behavior differs from expectations, it’s not automatically a problem to be fixed – it’s data. It’s information about how a particular brain processes the world. Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 16-20, 2026) reminds us that each person’s individuality matters.
Screening
Screening tools can help clarify how one experiences the world, show learning patterns and indicate the supports needed.
Commonly used tools include:
- Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2): Identifies social communication patterns and responsiveness.
- Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS‑2): Assesses characteristics associated with autism to inform support needs.
- Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC‑3): Evaluates behavior and emotional functioning.
- Conners Rating Scale (Conners 4): Highlights attention patterns and activity levels.
Individualized supports
It is important to avoid a one-size-fits-all model. An individual’s interests, communication and learning patterns should be considered in treatment. For example, do clinicians need to intervene in restricted interests?
Strategies that work with individuals and their fixed interests make treatment more meaningful. For example, a clinician can use a person’s fixed interest in their favorite music, art or activities as part of their treatment plan.
Alliance support
To submit referrals for autism evaluations or ABA services, fill out our Autism Evaluation BHT/ABA Form. You can find more general information and resources on our behavioral health page for providers.
Questions?
- Applied behavior analysis (ABA): Email [email protected] or call 800-700-3874, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ask to talk to the ABA team.
- For questions on diagnostics or screening: Email Dr. Nicole Gend, PsyD, BCBA at [email protected].
Coordination of Benefits Certification Statement for custodial services
In December 2020, the Alliance shared instructions with providers via fax regarding claims documentation submission requirements for long-term care and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Effective June 1, 2026, we are updating these instructions.
Skilled nursing facility (SNF) and short-term rehab services
For SNF or short-term rehab services, providers will be required to bill the primary insurance and provide the Alliance with documentation when submitting their claim to us as the secondary insurance.
Custodial care certification statements
The following guidance applies exclusively to custodial services for all Medi-Cal lines of business, which are not covered by OHC/Medicare.
Providers are required to include the following self-certification statement on claims: “Medicare/OHC will not cover services that are custodial.”
The statement may be entered in the Remarks Box or included in an attachment. No additional documentation is required.
Important reminders
- Providers must continue to maintain proper documentation as specified by Medi-Cal.
- Providers can be audited at any time.
- Custodial care claims that do not include the certification statement may be denied or recouped for missing the required documentation.
- It is also the provider’s responsibility to notify and reimburse the Alliance for any of these services paid by primary or secondary insurance.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding these adjustments, the Claims Department is available at 831-430-5503, Option 1, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Billing and coding guidance for intravitreal bevacizumab
Please refer to the following billing and coding guidance for intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) to prevent delays and inappropriate authorization denials.
There are different guidelines for Medi-Cal/IHSS and TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) members. Please use the corresponding HCPCS codes for each plan to ensure accurate claims submissions and prior authorization reviews.
| Health Plan | HCPCS Code | Additional Billing Guidance |
| Medi-Cal/IHSS | J9035 Injection, Bevacizumab, 10mg | Prior Authorization Criteria – Central California Alliance for Health |
| TotalCare (HMO D-SNP) | J7999 Compounded Drug, Not Otherwise Classified | For Part B claims, enter “Intravitreal bevacizumab, [dose] mg” in Item 19 of CMS-1500 claim form.
When billing J7999, enter “1” in the days/unit field for one eye, or “2” in the days/unit field if both eyes must be treated in the same encounter. |
