AB 2348 revises Medi-Cal enhanced care management implementation
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0250 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Final
AB 2348 strengthens ECM and community-support guidance, coordination, and publication processes while preserving distinct eligibility and benefit structures. Its policy-update calendar and later legislative report do not convert every community support into a mandatory benefit.
What happened
ECM remains a managed-care benefit under a comprehensive risk contract for eligible target populations, with exclusions for specified overlapping high-intensity services and integrated dual-eligible programs. The act preserves nonduplication and collaboration with behavioral-health delivery systems. Community supports remain alternative services and settings that plans may offer under the applicable authority. DHCS must maintain sufficiently detailed model guidance, publish plan offerings and utilization information, and provide implementation support; plans must align policies and educate their contracted providers.
Regular community-support guide changes require at least two weeks for public input, written release at least six months before effectiveness, and a January 1 or July 1 effective date. DHCS may depart from that process when needed for effective delivery, but must notify stakeholders and explain why. By March 31, 2029, DHCS must give the Legislature information on possible transition to required benefits, drawing on the CalAIM evaluation. That reporting duty supports later consideration rather than itself making the conversion or erasing current eligibility, contract, and nonduplication boundaries.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Potentially applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks, Health-tech
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Affected functions
- Case Management, Managed Care, Compliance
- Responsible owner
- Case Management
- Recorded date
- 2027-01-01
- Date type
- effective
Why it matters
Managed care and care management teams need alignment with DHCS operational guidance.
Recommended action
Map existing ECM and community support workflows to the final provisions and subsequent DHCS instructions; validate training and plan reporting responsibilities.
Implementation playbook
- Confirm affected members, benefits and contracts against the final statutory scope. Case Management · Due 2026-10-18
- Map existing ECM and community support workflows to the final provisions and subsequent DHCS instructions; validate training and plan reporting responsibilities. Managed Care · Due 2026-11-15
- Validate updated workflows, communicate changes and monitor implementing guidance. Compliance · Due 2026-12-15
Sources
- AB2348 enacted final textOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-27 · Source review 2026-10-11
- California Constitution, Article IV section 8(c), official Assembly 2023–24 editionOfficial · California State Assembly · Source review 2026-10-14
Complete edition and supplemental material
This finding in the complete approved report →Regulatory horizons, CIA trends and implementation trackers remain in the full report.
Read the entire Medicare & Medicaid report →