To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #77-148-9 with Linda Copeland, M.D.
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #77-148-9 with Linda Copeland, M.D., an individual, in an amount not to exceed $500,000, to provide medical consulting services to Contra Costa Heath Plan (CCHP) Utilization Management Unit and Medical Management Physician Team with regard to the CCHP policies and procedures for pediatric patients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and developmental disabilities, for the period November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Contract will result in contractual service expenditures of up to $500,000 over a two-year period and will be funded 100% by CCHP Enterprise Fund II revenues.
BACKGROUND:
CCHP is obligated to furnish a comprehensive range of healthcare services to its members as outlined in their Individual and Group Health Plan contracts with the County. As part of the CCHP Provider Network, this Contractor has delivered these services since November 1, 2017, developing a strong understanding of CCHP’s mission, values, and long‑term objectives.
CCHP must also maintain network adequacy in accordance with applicable state and federal requirements, ensuring members have timely access to clinically appropriate services. The Contractor supports CCHP in meeting these obligations by providing specialized offerings that are limited within the local market, thereby helping CCHP uphold access‑to‑care standards and avoid delays in service delivery.
Medical Consulting is essential to ensure that CCHP is meeting and following the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan requirements from the State of California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). This Contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000; Health and Safety Code § 1451; and 42 CFR 432.10(a) Standards of Personnel Administration. Health Services Personnel approved this Contract to ensure no conflicts with labor relations. The nature of the consulting and technical services needed is complex and requires seamless coordination, integration and collaboration with existing programs and systems. These contracted services were determined to be exempt from Administrative Bulletin 600.4 solicitation requirements by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division.
On November 28, 2023, the Board of Supervisors approved contract #77-148-6 with Linda Copeland, M.D., in an amount not to exceed $450,000, for the provision of medical consultation services to the CCHP Utilization Management Unit and Medical Management Physician Team with regard to the CCHP policies and procedures for pediatric patients diagnosed with ASD and developmental disabilities for the period November 1, 2023 through October 31, 2026.
On August 11, 2026, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract Amendment Agreement #77-148-8 with Linda Copeland, M.D., to increase the payment limit by $230,000 to an amount not to exceed $680,000 to provide additional consulting services to CCHP for pediatric patients with ASD and developmental disabilities, with no change in the term.
Approval of Contract #77-148-9 will allow the Contractor to continue providing consulting services to Contra Costa Heath Plan (CCHP) Utilization Management Unit and Medical Management Physician Team with regard to the CCHP policies and procedures for pediatric patients diagnosed with ASD through October 31, 2028. This Contract also contains an indemnification provision and obligates the County to indemnify and defend the Contractor, as it would a County employee, under the Tort Claims Act in performing medical services under the contract.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Contract is not approved, the CCHP Utilization Management Unit and Medical Management Physician Team will not receive the benefits of compliance consultation from the Contractor and state mandated requirements will not be met.