4260 Department of Health Care Services
Program Descriptions

20 - HEALTH CARE SERVICES

The Health Care Services program ensures that low-income Californians have access to health care services and that those services are delivered in a cost-effective manner. The Health Care Services program is comprised of four elements: Medical Care Services (Medi-Cal), Children's Medical Services, Primary and Rural Health Care, and Other Care Services.

20.10 - Medi-Cal:
Medi-Cal is responsible for coordinating and directing the delivery of health care services to low-income Californians. Medi-Cal provides access to quality medical care in a fiscally prudent manner through both fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems. Medi-Cal activities are carried out through 14 Divisions and 2 Program Offices. The Divisions and Program Offices include: Medi-Cal Benefits, Waiver Analysis, and Rates; Medi-Cal Managed Care; Medi-Cal Eligibility; Long Term Care; Pharmacy Benefits; Provider Enrollment; Utilization Management; Third Party Liability and Recovery; Safety Net Financing; Fiscal Intermediary and Contracts Oversight; Systems of Care; Fiscal Intermediary Medicaid Management Information Systems; Medi-Cal Dental Services; and Audits and Investigations. The Program Offices include: the Office of Medi-Cal Procurement and the Office of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance.

20.25 - Children's Medical Services:
Children's Medical Services is responsible for coordinating and directing the delivery of health care services to low-income and seriously ill children, including the Child Health and Disability Prevention Program, the Genetically Handicapped Persons Program, and the California Children's Services Program.

20.35 - Primary and Rural Health Care:
Primary and Rural Health Care is responsible for coordinating and directing the delivery of health care to Californians in rural areas and to underserved populations through the following programs: Expanded Access to Primary Care Program, the Indian Health Program, American Indian Infant Health Initiative, Rural Health Services Development Program, Seasonal Agricultural and Migratory Workers Program, State Office of Rural Health, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, and Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program. Primary and Rural Health Care also functions as the Tribal Liaison for Medi-Cal issues.

20.45 - Other Care Services:
The Department of Health Care Services is responsible for coordinating and directing the delivery of non-Medi-Cal community mental health services, non-Medi-Cal substance use disorder services, cancer screening services to low-income, under-insured, or uninsured women, and prostate cancer treatment services to low-income, under-insured, or uninsured men. These services are provided through Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services programs, the Every Woman Counts Program, and the Prostate Cancer Treatment Program.

30 - DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION

This program provides overall management, planning, policy development, legal and administrative support services for all DHCS programs. This program is carried out by the Executive Division, the Office of Legal Services, the Office of Civil Rights, Legislative and Governmental Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Information Technology Services Division, the Administration Division, and program division offices.