A new Medi-Cal benefit called Enhanced Care Management is designed to improve coordination and access to care for children with complex health and social needs.
Enrollment in the benefit has grown since it launched in July, 2023. But some advocates and parents are concerned about the benefits’ reach and effectiveness.
For children with complex medical needs, many parents are told that institutionalization — care that is provided in a location other than home — is the only option.
While spending time in acute care hospitals may be unavoidable, more could be done to allow these children to stay at home, instead of forcing them to live in institutions.
Across California and the country, families with children with complex medical needs struggle to find qualified nurses to care for them. Historically low pay rates for home health nurses, a lack of pediatric training for in-home situations, and a disjointed system for finding caregivers has left many families without the nursing care their children desperately need and are entitled to, experts said.
A federal judge prelimarily approved a lawsuit settlement earlier this month that would require the state to better provide in-home health care to California children and young adults with complex medical needs.