Office of County Health Services Branch

The Office of County Health Services (OCHS) Branch is part of the Department’s Health Information and Strategic Planning Division and supports the provision of indigent care, environmental health, and other public health services by local health departments.  OCHS provides Federal, State and Proposition (Prop) 99 (Tobacco Tax & Health Protection Act of 1988) funding for these services and related administrative activities, as well as technical assistance to local health programs.  

• California Healthcare for Indigents Program (CHIP) and Rural Health Services (RHS) Program:  These programs allocate Prop 99 tobacco tax revenues to participating counties for uncompensated health services to the medically indigent.  
• Emergency Medical Services Appropriation (EMSA) Program: This program provides reimbursement for uncompensated emergency services provided by physicians.
• Proposition 99 Contract Back Programs: Prop 99 funds declined by small counties that are eligible to participate in the Rural Health Services Program are administered by OCHS through the following three programs to reimburse providers for services to poor people with no means or other sources of payment for the services they receive: (1) the Children’s Treatment Contract Back Program; (2) the Hospital Services Contract Back Program; and (3) the EMSA Contract Back Program.
• Local Public Health Services Program (LPHSP): This program provides public health services for nine small, rural California counties, including environmental health, public health nursing, and various administrative support services.  
• Medical Marijuana Program (MMP): This program facilitates the registration of qualified patients and their caregivers through a statewide identification card system. 
• Medically Indigent Care Reporting System (MICRS): This program provides information based on summary data associated with the provision of indigent health care services by participating counties.
• Refugee Health Section: This section provides federal funds and technical assistance to impacted local health jurisdictions for the provision of culturally and linguistically-appropriate health assessments, outreach, and medical referrals to eligible refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and those certified as victims of severe forms of human trafficking. 
• State Public Health Subvention (SPHS) Program: This program provides state general funding to eligible cities and counties to help offset the costs of administering and delivering public health services to residents within their jurisdiction.
• County Medical Services Program (CMSP) (http://www.cmspcounties.org): This is a county-run and county-funded program serving medically indigent adults who are non Medi-Cal eligible in 34 small, rural counties.  CMSP contracts with OCHS to oversee the CMSP Account.