In 2024, DHCS issued a statewide standing recommendation for CHW services, removing one of the biggest friction points for members and providers: the need to chase down an individual provider order before each CHW engagement.
Under the standing recommendation, eligible members can access CHW services without a separate physician referral for each interaction — a meaningful change for members who lack a regular primary care provider or who first encounter the health system through an outreach worker, not a clinic.
It is a quiet but important policy move, and it expands the population we are able to reach.