The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is releasing an update to its Medi-Cal provider enrollment system—called the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE)—on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. 

The current iteration (2.0) of the PAVE system, launched on November 18, 2016, transformed DHCS’ provider enrollment from a manual paper-based process to a web-based portal that providers could use to complete and submit their applications, verifications and to report changes. Version 2.0 included most physicians and allied provider types. The new 3.0 update will include even more eligible provider types, including physician-owned ambulatory surgical clinics. 

PAVE will eventually replace the paper application process, although the paper option will still be available to those providers who specifically request it from DHCS’s Provider Enrollment Division.

Key features of PAVE 3.0 include auto population of data, secured inter-practice communication, screening tools to avoid submission of the incorrect form, real-time status tracking and multiple “help” functions.

According to DHCS, the process for completing an application through the new system is dramatically streamlined, dropping the average to complete an application from 1.75 hours to 0.7 hours. DHCS also reports its average provider application processing time has been cut in half, and it expects that time to drop even lower after 3.0’s launch. 

PAVE Provider Trainings

DHCS will be offering three webinars to go over the PAVE basics that apply to all providers, as well as key features of the new 3.0 release. Each session covers the same content. Webinars will be offered on September 4, 11 and 12. To register, visit the DHCS PAVE webpage.

For more information about PAVE, see the DHCS PAVE FAQ.