DHCS Launches COVID-19 Medi-Nurse Line and Unleashing Leaders is proud to support this project.

In April, the Department launched the DHCS Medi-Nurse line to provide telehealth assistance to those who may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and are either uninsured, a fee-for-service beneficiary, or whose regular health plan does not cover COVID-19 services.

The Medi-Nurse Line staff help callers determine whether their symptoms are COVID-19 related, if they should self-isolate and employ home self-care techniques, whether  a referral to a health care provider for COVID-19 testing and/or treatment is necessary, or if they should seek emergency care immediately.  

The CA-MMIS Division’s CVMB Branch manages the Carenet contract that provides licensed nurses and care coordinators who staff the Med-Nurse Line, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a Language Line available in English, Spanish, and 19 other languages and a text telephone or TTY.  The Medi-Nurse Line is well positioned to serve the needs of Californians as the system can handle 250 simultaneous calls and up to 55,500 calls monthly. 

The Medi-Nurse Line has a three-step process to immediately assess a caller’s situation. Here is how it works:

• The concerned party calls the Medi-Nurse Line.
• The Carenet care coordinator triages the caller and assesses the level of urgency, then, if needed, connects the caller to a nurse or schedules a nurse callback.
• Callers have access to Carenet nurses for telehealth, COVID-19 resources, and referral to a qualified provider, when appropriate

In addition, the Medi-Nurse Line provides covered clinical assessments, advice, resources, and access to qualified providers for those who are eligible. Robust reporting and metrics have been established to monitor the effectiveness of the Medi-Nurse Line to continuously improve the caller experience.

With the launch of the Medi-Nurse Line, CA-MMIS Division continues to deliver innovative, customer-focused services and solutions.