Volume 5 | April - June 2024
Quarterly News and Updates
June 2024
The 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.
A Message from the Chief of the
Office of Family Planning
Launch of CalHEERS
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing family planning and reproductive health services and access in California, we are excited to share important updates about the Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment (Family PACT) Program Portal implementation.

What is the Family PACT Portal:
The Family PACT Portal is a unique California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS) project that will become part of the CalHEERS ecosystem on January 13, 2025.
 
The Family PACT Portal will be made up of three portals: the Client portal, the Provider portal, and the Admin portal. The portals are designed to streamline Family PACT account, application, and eligibility processes for impacted system end-users.

  • The Client portal will facilitate efficient management for applicants/clients by allowing them to create an account, apply for, and oversee their Family PACT enrollment easily online.
  • The Provider portal will allow Family PACT providers to enroll and recertify applicants/clients into Family PACT.
  • The Admin portal will allow the Office of Family Planning staff to assist providers and clients with account, application, and eligibility and will allow Covered California Service Center Representatives to assist with some specific account support items.

As a whole, the CalHEERS Family PACT portals are strategically developed to automate application, eligibility, and management procedures, ensuring an optimal experience for clients/applicants and providers.

What This Means for You:
As valued stakeholders in the health and well-being of Californians, your awareness and understanding of these changes are crucial. The Family PACT portal represents our commitment to leveraging technology for better healthcare outcomes, ensuring that eligible individuals can access family planning and reproductive health services they need with ease and efficiency. In the coming months, we will provide more detailed information about the portal’s features and how you can, and will, engage with the system.

Connect with your Family PACT Change Champions:
Change Champions are those who enthusiastically support the Family PACT system implementation. If you have any questions or concerns relating to the Family PACT system implementation, please reach out to one of Change Champions listed below.

Change Champions:
  • Lamont Weaver
  • Dena Lee
  • Greg Shigetoshi
Medi-Cal and Family PACT Bulletins
2024 Income Eligibility Guidelines for the Family PACT Program
Effective for dates of service on or after April 1, 2024, providers are to use the following income guidelines when determining client eligibility for the Family PACT Program.
Telehealth Policy Update
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is publishing revisions to the telehealth policy for the Family PACT Program. The policy has been updated to include:
  • Patient Choice of Telehealth Modality; and
  • Right to In-Person Services
Provider Manual Revisions
DHCS has updated the following sections of the Family PACT Policies, Procedures and Billing Instructions (PPBI) manual:
Opill® Available Over-the-Counter Under Medi-Cal Rx Prescription
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the OTC oral contraceptive, Opill® (norgestrel 0.075 mg) tablets as the first daily oral contraceptive available over-the-counter or without a prescription requirement. Medi-Cal members and Family PACT clients can receive Opill® from a Medi-Cal enrolled pharmacist who furnishes self-administered hormonal contraception under a protocol in accordance with California Law (CCR 1746.1 and BPC 4052.3)
Online Training Courses
Redesigned Trainings
Three Family PACT courses will be updated with DHCS branding and give providers a more user-friendly and streamlined experience. Should you have any of the following modules in progress, you will need to log into your account and complete them by noon on June 21, 2024.
Clinical Practice Alerts
Emergency Contraception
Emergency contraception represents a "last chance" after unprotected sexual intercourse to prevent unintended pregnancy. Find out the different categories of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), including ulipristal acetate (UPA) and levonorgestrel (LNg), and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Contraception for Individuals With Chronic Medical Conditions
The Family PACT Program encourages the use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC), 2016, an evidence-based guideline focused on contraceptive safety. Find out how to determine which categories of contraception methods are best suited for clients with medical conditions.
Cervical Cancer Screening
The Family PACT Program covers cervical cancer screening when provided in conjunction with the provision of family planning services, but not as a stand-alone service. Family PACT has adopted the current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force with additional recommendations from the American Cancer Society.
Contact Us
Program Resources

Department of Health Care Services Office of Family Planning
(916) 650-0414

Family PACT Provider Enrollment Application: PAVE Portal


Family PACT Provider Locator
(800) 942-1054

Email Directory

Provider enrollment and recertification inquiries:

Provider training and orientation inquiries:

General questions:

Stakeholder-related inquiries: