San Diego's 4 Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, Explained

San Diego County currently has four Medi-Cal managed care plans (MCPs): Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, Community Health Group Partnership Plan, Kaiser Permanente, and Molina Healthcare of California. If you've seen Health Net or CalViva listed as San Diego options, that information is outdated — Health Net was dropped from the county in the 2024 managed care transition, and CalViva has never operated here. This article names the four current plans, corrects that stale-directory myth, and explains the one fact that matters most for addiction and specialty mental health care: which plan you have doesn't determine whether you can get treated.

What are the four Medi-Cal managed care plans in San Diego County?

These four have operated in San Diego since the county's 2024-01-01 Medi-Cal managed care transition.

Why do some sources still list Health Net or CalViva for San Diego?

Health Net was one of San Diego's Medi-Cal managed care plans before the 2024 transition and was dropped from the county at that point — outdated directories and old articles sometimes still list it. CalViva Health is a Medi-Cal plan in other California counties (including Fresno, Kings, and Madera) but has never operated in San Diego County; seeing it listed as a San Diego option is a directory error, not a current option. If you're comparing plan lists, treat any source naming Health Net or CalViva for San Diego as stale.

What do these managed care plans actually cover?

Each MCP covers physical health care — primary care, specialists, hospital care — along with mild-to-moderate mental health services delivered through the plan's own network. This is the tier of mental health care that typically responds to periodic outpatient therapy or medication management. Beyond physical health and mild-to-moderate mental health, however, an MCP's role in behavioral health mostly stops.

Why doesn't the plan name matter for addiction and specialty mental health treatment?

This is the pivot point worth understanding clearly: substance use treatment and specialty mental health services are both carved out of managed care entirely in San Diego County. Substance use care runs through the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS); specialty mental health services run through the county's own Specialty Mental Health Services system. Both are administered by San Diego County Behavioral Health Services, with Optum Public Sector San Diego handling credentialing, authorizations, and the provider directory on the county's behalf. Optum is not an insurer, and members do not need to enroll with it separately.

The practical result: whether your card says Blue Shield Promise, Community Health Group, Kaiser, or Molina, addiction treatment and specialty mental health treatment work the same way — through the county system, not your MCP. A treatment provider credentialed with the county, like Golden Coast Rehab, can serve any San Diego County Medi-Cal beneficiary who meets clinical criteria, regardless of MCP. Our Medi-Cal coverage guide covers this carve-out structure in more detail, and if depression, anxiety, or trauma is layered under a substance use concern, our dual diagnosis program addresses both together rather than in sequence. Our co-occurring disorders page has more on how that overlap is assessed clinically.

How do I find out which Medi-Cal plan I have?

Your Medi-Cal managed care plan is printed on your member ID card, and it's also listed in your Medi-Cal benefits identification card portal or by calling Medi-Cal member services. If you're unsure and it's relevant to a physical health referral, your plan's member services line can confirm it directly. For behavioral health specifically, though, you generally don't need this information on hand before calling — the county's Access and Crisis Line and providers like Golden Coast Rehab can verify Medi-Cal eligibility without you first identifying your MCP.

Do I need to switch plans to get addiction or specialty mental health treatment?

No. Because these services are carved out of the MCP network entirely, switching from Molina to Kaiser (for example) changes nothing about your access to a DMC-ODS or specialty mental health provider. Switching plans is only relevant to physical health care and mild-to-moderate mental health — not to the county-administered behavioral health system.