ACEs Aware: On Jan. 1, 2020, Medi-Cal Providers Can Receive Payment for ACEs Screenings

Gail Kennedy 12/31/1912:24 PM

ACEs and toxic stress represent a public health crisis that has been, until recently, largely unrecognized by our state’s health care system and society, but there’s hope. Together, we can screen for ACEs, respond with trauma-informed care, and significantly improve physical and mental health across the state.

All Medi-Cal providers are encouraged to get trained today. Beginning on January 1, 2020, eligible Medi-Cal providers can receive a $29 payment for conducting qualifying ACEs screenings for children and adults (through age 64) with full-scope Medi-Cal.

And, thank you to the nearly 1,000 providers and health care leaders who joined our December 4 webinar to introduce the ACEs Aware screening training and tools. If you missed the webinar, a recording of the session and accompanying slides presented by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General, and Dr. Karen Mark, Medical Director for the state Department of Health Care Services, are now available at ACEsAware.org, alongside training information and additional important resources.

Thank you for being a part of our ACEs Aware community and for your interest in this first-in-the-nation initiative to address the public health impacts of ACEs and toxic stress.

About ACEs Aware

The Office of the California Surgeon General and the state Department of Health Care Services are leading a first-in-the-nation statewide effort to screen children and adults for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in primary care, and to treat the impacts of toxic stress with trauma-informed care. The ACEs Aware initiative is built on the consensus of scientific evidence demonstrating that early detection and evidence-based intervention improves outcomes. The bold goal of this initiative is to reduce ACEs and toxic stress by half in one generation, and to launch a national movement to ensure everyone is ACEs Aware. For more information, visit www.ACEsAware.org.