Evaluation of Cal MediConnect: Results of Focus Groups with Beneficiaries

Researchers at the University of California worked with a stakeholder advisory group during a 6-month planning period to design an evaluation of Cal MediConnect, California‘s dual financial alignment demonstration. It was decided that the evaluation should begin by incorporating the experiences and voices of beneficiaries who had transitioned to Cal MediConnect or opted out. Qualitative focus groups with beneficiaries were planned with an overall objective of identifying the impact that the transition to Cal MediConnect had on beneficiaries‘ experiences with access to, quality of, and coordination of care for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal. Additionally, focus groups were also designed to document the experiences of certain vulnerable groups which might not answer the telephone survey in sufficient numbers for statistical analysis, and to provide qualitative insights into meaning and context that can aid in the interpretation of quantitative survey data collected in the next phase of the analysis.