Acentra Health has won a 2-year, $27.5 million contract with one option year from the California Department of Health Care Services to continue delivering Preadmission Screening and Resident Review services for individuals with serious mental illness in long-term care.
The contract includes Level I initial screenings and Level II evaluations as part of California’s PASRR program.
The award follows new PASRR contracts in Kansas and Washington, bringing Acentra Health’s assessment services to eight states. It was competitively awarded and builds on the company’s work with California Medicaid since 2015.
PASRR is a federal requirement that screens applicants to Medicaid-certified long-term care facilities for serious mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, or related conditions. Those identified receive a Level II evaluation to ensure they get care in the least restrictive setting.
“We are honored to be selected again by the California Department of Health Care Services as their vital partner for PASRR services and applaud their efforts to protect and support individuals with complex behavioral health needs,” said Todd Stottlemyer, Acentra Health CEO. “Acentra Health is proud of our 23-year history providing PASRR services nationwide and sees this award as a reflection of our proven track record for delivering impactful, value-driven solutions for all our PASRR clients.”
California runs the largest PASRR program in the U.S., with Acentra Health performing about 233,000 Level I screenings and 18,000 Level II evaluations each year. Since 2015, Acentra has worked with DHCS to streamline clinical workflows and boost efficiency, bringing average assessment turnaround times to under two days — well below federal benchmarks.
The new California contract follows Acentra Health’s selection by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to provide Level II PASRR assessments starting April 1, 2025, and by the Washington State Health Care Authority with a go-live date of July 1, 2024.
Acentra Health’s PASRR services cover Level I screenings, Level II evaluations, determinations, notification processing, a dedicated IT system and detailed reporting. The company delivers timely, clinically sound recommendations that support state compliance and protect individual rights.