California DMC-ODS Evaluation

California's Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) Waiver

The California Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) Section 1115 demonstration waiver was created by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to test the impact of organizing SUD services to improve service delivery to Medicaid-eligible individuals with SUDs. The intent was to demonstrate that organized SUD care improves quality, access, and coordination/integration of treatment for beneficiaries while decreasing other health care system costs. DHCS contracted with UCLA ISAP to assess the DMC-ODS waiver's success through various evaluation activities (reference Evaluation Designs).

The demonstration launched in 2015, as part of Medi-Cal 2020. The resulting evaluation documented DMC-ODS implementation and found that the DMC-ODS waiver has improved access to treatment, treatment quality, and coordination of care, and met the initial goals of the DMC-ODS. The current evaluation design (under the CalAIM Section 1115 renewal through December 2026) will look for any effect of the new changes but is otherwise focused on monitoring maintenance of the measured improvements found during the initial waiver, identifying emerging trends, determining opportunities to facilitate further progress, evaluating health equity, and evaluating the new Recovery Incentives Program.

Evaluation Reports

Recovery Incentives Program Evaluation Reports

• 2023 Brief Report: The Recovery Incentives Program: California’s Contingency Management Benefit Early Implementation Lessons Learned

DMC-ODS Evaluation Reports

• FY 2020-2021 Evaluation Report
• FY 2019-2020 Evaluation Report
• FY 2018-2019 Evaluation Report
  • Appendices
• FY 2017-2018 Evaluation Report
• FY 2016-2017 Evaluation Report
• FY 2015-2016 Evaluation Report
• Pre-Waiver Case Study: Santa Clara County Adult System of Care

UCLA's Evaluation Reporting Schedule

• Biannual Activity Summary Reports (January-June, July-December; through 2026)
• Recovery Incentives Program: Mid-Point Assessment Evaluation Report (June 30, 2024)
• DMC-ODS: 1115 SUD Mid-Point Assessment Evaluation Report (December 15, 2024)
• Recovery Incentives Program: interim Evaluation Report (June 30, 2025)
• DMC-ODS: 1115 SUD Interim Evaluation Report (December 15, 2025)
• Recovery Incentives Program: Final Evaluation Report (June 30, 2026)
• DMC-ODS: 1115 SUD Final Evaluation Report (January 31, 2027)

Evaluation Designs

• Medi-Cal 2020 Demonstration Waiver Evaluation Design (approved June 2016)
• Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver, as part of CalAIM, Evaluation Design (approved June 2023)