Provider Alerts

California is stabilizing and retaining the state’s health care workforce by issuing worker retention payments. These payments are the result of Assembly Bill (AB) 204 which was signed on September 29, 2022, by Governor Newsom. As a result, many qualified health care clinic employees will be eligible to receive a retention payment. Please see below for additional information as well as registration dates and guidelines.

To qualify, an individual:

• Must be employed by a qualified clinic as of the date of record, December 28, 2022.
• May not be a manager or supervisor.
• Must continue to be employed by the qualified clinic through the date that it distributes the retention payments to its employees

November 15, 2022 – December 20, 2022: Qualified clinics registration process

is now live for qualified clinics, please visit the following link to access the registration form: https://www.research.net/r/CA-CWSRP-Registration. The registration deadline is December 20, 2022. Registration Guidance and more information about eligibility and the overall process can be found in the Program Information – Guidance at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/ClinicWorkforce-Stabilization-Retention-Payment-Program.aspx#PI. Once registered, qualified clinics will be approved to apply for retention payments on behalf of their eligible employees.

December 29, 2022 – January 27, 2023: Qualified clinics application process

All registered qualified clinics will receive a link to the application for submitting employee information, due by January 27, 2023. DHCS encourages early submissions so all applications can be validated before the due date.

February 2023: Payments issued to qualified clinics

DHCS anticipates issuing payments to qualified clinics in February 2023. Clinics receiving funding must issue payments to qualified employees within 60 days of receipt of funds.

For information about the Hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility COVID-19 Worker Retention Payments, please visit the DHCS webpage at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/Hospital-and-Skilled-Nursing-Facility-COVID-19-Worker-Retention-Payments.aspx.

For more information on AB 204, please visit the following link: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB204.

If you have any further questions, please contact your Provider Services Representative, or call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-936-PLAN (7526). You may also visit https://www.hpsj.com/alerts/ for online access to the documents shared.