Quarterly News and Updates

September 2026

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Office of Family Planning (OFP) newsletter gives you the latest resources, news, and information in family planning and family planning-related services to support your important work for the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program.

• Clinical Updates
• Family PACT Program Provider Training Updates
• Upcoming Events & Training Opportunities
• Family PACT Program Policy Updates
• Medi-Cal Information & Bulletins
• Contact Us & Helpful Resources

September: Sexual Health Awareness Month

and National Hispanic Heritage Month

(September 15 - October 15)

October: Health Literacy Month

November: U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (November 18-24)

Lentocilin Reimbursable Under HCPCS Code J0561

Source: National Network of STI Clinical Prevention Training Centers

Family PACT Bulletin 227 | August 2026

Effective retroactively for dates of service on or after June 7, 2024, Lentocilin (penicillin G benzathine) is a covered Medi-Cal and Family PACT Program benefit due to the ongoing national Bicillin® L-A shortage. Lentocilin 1.2 million units is reimbursable as a medical benefit when billed under HCPCS J0561 (injection, penicillin G benzathine, 100,000 units) with National Drug Code (NDC) 84383011001 in accordance with applicable Medi-Cal billing requirements.

An Erroneous Payment Correction (EPC) will be implemented to reprocess denied claims with dates of service on or after the effective date of this billing policy, that were appropriately submitted based on the guidance published in this article, but erroneously denied because Medi-Cal had not yet implemented the system changes to support appropriate adjudication. Providers may also elect to use this updated billing policy to correct and resubmit previously denied claims as described in the CIF Submission and Timeliness Instructions section of the Provider Manual.

Providers should follow all standard Medi-Cal and Family PACT billing requirements. Coverage remains in effect until the Bicillin shortage is resolved.

The Family PACT Policies, Procedures and Billing Instructions (PPBI) Manual has been updated accordingly:

• Benefits Grid (p. 45)
• Clinic Formulary (p. 19)

CPT Code 87494 Added to

Family PACT Laboratory Policy

Family PACT Bulletin 227 | August 2026

Effective for dates of service on or after September 1, 2026, Family PACT laboratory policy for Sexually Transmitted Infections has been updated to include CPT® code 87494 (infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA]; Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, multiplex amplified probe technique).

CPT 87494 may not be reimbursed in conjunction with CPT 87491 (infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA]; Chlamydia trachomatis, amplified probe technique) or CPT 87591 (infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA]; Neisseria gonorrhoeae, amplified probe technique).

The PPBI Manual has been updated:

Family PACT HPV Testing Updates

Family PACT Bulletin 227 | August 2026

Reimbursement for primary high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing includes self-collected vaginal specimens, which is an acceptable option for average-risk individuals age 30 thru 65 according to Health Resources and Services Administration, American Cancer Society and the Enduring Consensus Cervical Cancer Screening and Management Guidelines. Screening after a negative self-collected hrHPV test should be repeated in 3 years.

Effective for dates of service on or after September 1, 2026, CPT® code 87624 (HPV, high risk types [e.g., 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68]) and 87626 (Detection test by nucleic acid for HPV, separately reported high-risk types [e.g. 16, 18, 31, 45, 51, 52]) are covered for females 30 thru 65 years of age once every five years, any provider, or three years following a client-collected specimen.

The PPBI Manual has been updated accordingly:

• Benefits: Family Planning-Related Services (pp. 4-7)
• Laboratory Services (pp. 38, 39)

Important Clinical Updates from the 
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

• Syphilis Treatment Updates & Resources
• Bicillin Expiry Extension
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that that Pfizer’s Bicillin® L-A expiry extension request has been granted. The information can be found on their website here.
• Please contact the FDA Drug Shortage Staff at drugshortages@fda.hhs.gov or CDPH Office of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) at STDCB@cdph.ca.gov with any questions.
• New Syphilis App
• “Syphilis Tools” is a new, free app that healthcare providers can use as a clinical reference for syphilis screening, testing, and treatment. Use interactive tools within the app to interpret serologic tests, identify syphilis stages, determine treatment regimens, and monitor titers, all from one app. It also pulls county-based syphilis data to help inform local screening efforts.
• Visit: New Syphilis Tools App | CDC NCHHSTP
• Ongoing Bicillin Shortage
• Update on Bicillin® L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension) Shortage: Inventory Review and Clinical Guidance (2/23/26)
• Note that the estimated recovery for Bicillin L-A is now Q3 of 2027.
• Increase in Introductions of Clade I Mpox and Increases in Clade II Mpox Within California​
• This Health Update informs health care providers of an increase in travel-related introductions of clade I mpox into California and the U.S.; there have also been an increase in clade II mpox cases in California. Increases in clade I community transmission in Western Europe suggest that additional travel-related clade I mpox cases should be expected in California. Clinicians should have a heightened index of suspicion for mpox and particularly for clade I mpox in individuals who report recent international travel or sexual or intimate contact with someone who recently traveled internationally, especially to an area where clade I is circulating. Mpox testing should be considered for patients with compatible signs and symptoms (PDF), regardless of vaccination status or previous infection. Providers should report suspect or confirmed clade I mpox cases immediately to their local health department and/or CDPH. Mpox vaccination with two doses is recommended for individuals who may be at risk for mpox including immune compromised individuals and is expected to protect against both clade I and clade II mpox or any subclades.​ 

For more CDPH resources: CDPH Office of STIs and HCV Dear Colleague Letters, Health Alerts and Recommendations, All Facility Letters, and Funding Opportunities

Nexplanon^® REMS Deadline Extended

On August 18, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the NEXPLANON® (etonogestrel implant) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) transition period deadline from August 23, 2026, to February 23, 2027.

There will be no disruption to product access on Monday, August 24, 2026.

All providers performing Nexplanon insertions or removals must complete the FDA-required Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) certification by February 23, 2027, to maintain access to Nexplanon.

IMPORTANT: Office of Family Planning Reminder

Family PACT Providers are required to offer the Nexplanon® contraceptive implant onsite. Each site enrolled in the Family PACT Program must identify, at a minimum, one clinician trained to provide Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) services – including insertion and removal of the contraceptive implant – onsite. See PPBI Manual, Section Provider Enrollment and Responsibilities, page 5.

Updates effective September 14, 2026:  

Family PACT Program Overview Course  

The Family PACT Program Overview training course has been fully refreshed with updated and essential information for new and existing Family PACT providers related to Family PACT policies, provider responsibilities, client enrollment, program standards, and available resources. The Program Overview is available to all learning tracks. 

• Site Certifiers are now required to complete this updated training during their next scheduled renewal period.  
• Note: Staff are not required to go back and complete this training at this time; staff will only be required to complete it at the next scheduled renewal period, which is required every two (2) years for Site Certifiers and every five (5) years for all other learning tracks. 

New Learning Track: Non-Clinician 

A new Non-Clinician Learning Track, designed for counselors, health educators, medical assistants (MAs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and registered nurses (RNs) who provide client counseling and education, is now available. 

Training Catalog Updates 

• The Fraud, Waste, and Abuse course has been archived and removed from the training catalog. The content has been incorporated into the updated Program Overview course.  
• The Family PACT Provider Staff Portal Training is now required for the Administrator Track.  
• Additional training catalog updates will be released in the coming months. 

For more information and to access trainings, visit the Family PACT Online Training Center. 

For more information on training requirements, refer to the Provider Enrollment and Responsibilities section of the PPBI Manual. 

Family PACT Bulletin 226 | July 2026

Updates effective July 1, 2026:  

Clinicians and all other clinic staff must complete required Family PACT trainings every five (5) years (instead of every two [2] years). 

Note: The requirements for Site Certifiers remain unchanged: required trainings must be completed every two (2) years and the Provider Orientation must be completed every two (2) years.

For more information and to access trainings, visit the Family PACT Online Training Center. 

For more information on training requirements, refer to the Provider Enrollment and Responsibilities section of the PPBI Manual. 

Comprehensive IUD and

Contraceptive Implant Training

Family PACT Program Provider Orientation

Medi-Cal Provider Training Event: October 2026

Family PACT Policy Updates to Required Training Frequency, Contraceptive Requirements, and 
Non-Physician Medical Practitioners (NMPs)

Family PACT Bulletin 226 | July 2026

Effective July 1, 2026, OFP has updated the PPBI regarding required trainings, contraceptive requirements and NMPs.

The training frequency required for clinicians and all other clinic staff has been updated.

Note: The frequency requirements for Site Certifiers remain unchanged.

For more information on Required Trainings, visit the Family PACT Online Training Center.

OFP has updated the Provider Enrollment and Responsibilities section to clarify that Family PACT providers must offer, at minimum, the contraceptive implant and at least one type of hormonal IUD and non-hormonal IUD onsite. Program Standards has a new “Availability of Covered Services (Contraceptives)” table clarifying which contraceptive methods are required to be offered onsite, by prescription or by referral.

NMPs are authorized to deliver the full scope of Family PACT family planning and family planning-related services, including sterilization services, within their scope of practice and to the extent permitted by applicable professional licensing statutes and regulations as set forth in the physician/practitioner interface document.

The PPBI Manual has been updated:

Medi-Cal News | August 11, 2026

The Consent for Sterilization (DHCS 8649) form is now available in all threshold languages on the Sterilization Consent Form and Sterilization Education Materials page on the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) website. It is also available on the Forms page on the Medi-Cal Providers website.

The Consent for Sterilization (DHCS 8649) is the only consent form accepted by Medi-Cal and the Family PACT Program for sterilization services.

Updated sterilization education booklets are also available on the Sterilization Consent Form and Sterilization Education Materials page on the DHCS website.

If providers have other questions about sterilization services, they may contact the DHCS, Office of Family Planning at FamilyPACT@dhcs.ca.gov.

Medi-Cal News | June 26, 2026

The Every Woman Counts (EWC) Detecting Early Cancer (DETEC) application in the Provider Portal has been updated to help prevent duplicate cycle records, improve workflow and increase data security. The following enhancements are included in this update:

• Mother’s Maiden Name is now a required field when creating or recertifying a recipient.
• Referral providers can print the recipient Identification (ID) cards.
• The sexual orientation field has been removed from the Compare Recipient screen.
• The Date of Birth (DOB) field has been removed from the printed Recipient Card.

For more information, refer to the Every Woman Counts Detecting Early Cancer (DETEC) User Guide.

Medi-Cal News | July 3, 2026

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) remains committed to providing equitable, high-quality access to individuals served through the Every Woman Counts (EWC) program, while also undertaking efforts to streamline operations and reduce administrative costs.

Beginning July 1, 2026, support for the EWC program has transitioned activities from Regional Contractors to an in-house operation within DHCS.

Under this updated model, DHCS is maintaining core program functions, including outreach, education, patient navigation, provider training and quality assurance. This is an operational and administrative restructuring only. There are no EWC program changes from a policy or coverage perspective, and there are no changes to eligibility or benefits. The current EWC Regional Contractor agreements expired on June 30, 2026.

Effective July 1, 2026, all correspondence for the EWC program may be sent directly to DHCS as follows:

• General program questions: ewc@dhcs.ca.gov
• Clinical questions, including Detecting Early Cancer (DETEC) data entry questions: ewcclinicalservices@dhcs.ca.gov
• For questions containing Protected Health Information (PHI), write “[SECURE]” in the email subject line.
• EWC member outreach, education and information: ewchealtheducation@dhcs.ca.gov, or
• Call 1-800-511-2300 if assistance is needed in locating an EWC provider in their area.
• Providers can call the Telephone Service Center (TSC) at 1-800-541-5555 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, for help with claims and billing, setting up a Provider PIN or checking member eligibility.

More information will be shared on the Every Woman Counts page of the DHCS website.

Medi-Cal News | July 24, 2026

The qualifying diagnoses list for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP), has been updated to provide the most current medical terminology. Providers can select the qualifying diagnosis from the Breast Cancer Diagnosis or Cervical Cancer/Endocervical Diagnosis dropdown menus when submitting a BCCTP application in the Provider Portal.

Note: The pathology report is required when selecting the following diagnoses:

• Breast Malignancy, not otherwise specified (NOS)
• Cervical Malignancy NOS
• Or the diagnosis is not in the drop-down list

Submit the pathology report by fax to 1-916-440-5693 or email to BCCTP@dhcs.ca.gov.

For more information about the Provider Portal BCCTP application, refer to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) User Guide.

Medi-Cal Program & Eligibility Bulletin 50 | September 2026

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires Medi-Cal claims for goods or services that were ordered, referred, or prescribed by another provider to include that provider’s National Provider Identifier (NPI). The ordering, referring, or prescribing (ORP) provider must have a valid Type 1 (Individual) NPI and be actively enrolled in Medi-Cal for the date of service, even if they do not bill Medi-Cal directly. Billing providers are encouraged to work with unenrolled ORP providers to complete enrollment through the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) portal and can verify enrollment through the Profile of Enrolled Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service (FFS) Providers.

Billing providers should establish processes to verify that all required secondary NPIs, including ordering, referring, rendering, attending, and admitting providers, are valid Type 1 NPIs and actively enrolled in Medi-Cal for the date of service. Once enforcement begins, claims that are missing a required ORP NPI or contain an invalid or inactive NPI may be denied. DHCS plans to implement the CMS requirement using a phased enforcement approach, with additional information to be released as it becomes available.

Update: This landing page was just announced: Prescribers and Billing Providers FAQ | DHCS

Medi-Cal News | September 25, 2026

Who Is Affected?

Staff currently performing Presumptive Eligibility (PE) determinations who have not personally completed the required PE certification training in the Medi-Cal Learning Portal (MLP).

What's Changing?

Beginning in November 2026, MLP training records will be more closely linked to individual users. Staff will no longer be able to perform PE determinations based on another person’s certification record and may lose access if they are not individually certified.

What You Need to Do

Before the November transition, each staff member performing PE determinations must have their own MLP account, ensure their MLP username matches their Provider Portal email address, and complete all required PE certification training. If the username and email do not match, a new MLP account should be created using the Provider Portal email address as the username.

Act Now to Avoid Service Disruptions

Complete these steps before November 2026 to prevent interruptions in PE determination access and maintain compliance with Medi-Cal PE program requirements. For assistance, contact the MLP Support Team at CAMMISAccountTraining@gainwelltechnologies.com.

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