Medi-Cal Contracting Journey: Considerations and Learnings from the First 5 Network

Brief • Jun 12, 2026

Brief

Becoming a Medi-Cal provider requires deep organizational transformation. California’s First 5 county commissions (First 5s) have been early leaders in this work, contracting with managed care plans (MCPs) to deliver new benefits such as community health worker (CHW) and enhanced care management (ECM) services.

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Medi-Cal Contracting Journey: Considerations and Learnings from the First 5 Network

This brief draws on First 5 experience to guide organizations navigating their own Medi-Cal contracting journey.

Every organization’s path will look different depending on its MCP, the benefit(s) it is contracting for, and its organizational structure, services, and staffing. Our aim is to demystify the process and offer practical support for what lies ahead.

Brief

Making CalAIM Work for Community Providers: Lessons and Strategies from California's First 5 Network

Mar 4, 2026

First 5s and their community partners are not peripheral to Medi-Cal transformation - they are foundational to reaching California’s most vulnerable families. They bring cultural relevance, trust, community embeddedness, and the ability to bridge clinical systems to populations that have historically experienced barriers to healthcare access.

Brief

Proposal for New Medi-Cal Benefit: Early Childhood Home and Community Based Services

Mar 17, 2025

This brief is the second in a series about home and community-based perinatal supports for California families.

Blog Post

First 5s are Leading the Way for Early Childhood Serving Organizations to Engage with Medi-Cal Transformation

Jaren Gaither • Apr 8, 2026

California’s First 5 network is leading the way for early childhood-serving organizations to take part in Medi-Cal transformation.

Medi-Cal Contracting Journey: Considerations and Learnings from the First 5 Network

This brief draws on First 5 experience to guide organizations navigating their own Medi-Cal contracting journey.

Making CalAIM Work for Community Providers: Lessons and Strategies from California's First 5 Network

Proposal for New Medi-Cal Benefit: Early Childhood Home and Community Based Services

First 5s are Leading the Way for Early Childhood Serving Organizations to Engage with Medi-Cal Transformation

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