According to Health & Safety Code (HSC) Section 1206, intermittent clinics, defined as clinics operated by a licensed primary care clinic (PCC) operated on separate premises from the licensed clinic and only open for limited services of no more than 40 hours a week, are exempt from the licensure process.

Establishing an Intermittent Clinic

To simplify the process and prevent delays in processing providers’ Medi-Cal certification for new intermittent clinics, providers will only need to submit the initial intermittent notification to Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Provider Enrollment Division (PED), who will forward a copy of the intermittent notification to the Centralized Applications Branch (CAB) for processing.

Note: This only applies to new intermittent clinics that have not yet been established in the PED database.

  1. Notify the PED of the intermittent site:
    • Notification: Clinics must submit a letter to PED on corporate letterhead requesting enrollment of the intermittent site. Guidance on the required content of the notification can be found here:
    • HRSA Notice of Award (FQHCs only): For FQHCs, the intermittent site must be added to HRSA scope, resulting in a Notice of Award specifying the intermittent site’s location.
    • Clinics may check the status of the intermittent clinic correspondence by going to the PED webpage and completing an Inquiry Form (found under Provider Resources).
  2. PED will forward a copy of the intermittent notification to CAB for processing.
    • A CAB analyst will review the written notification to ensure all required information and/or documents are received and complete.
    • If information is missing or incorrect, the analyst will contact the provider by email, letter or phone to obtain the information.
  3. Once the notification is deemed complete, the analyst will notify the applicant and appropriate district office by letter, e-mail or phone and will either:
    • Forward the notification and documents to the appropriate district office if a new license is not required, OR
    • If a new license is required, CAB will issue a license and forward the notification and documents to the appropriate district office.
  4. Additional Considerations:
    • CAB does not require an STD 850 to be submitted with an intermittent clinic notification. However, pursuant to HSC § 1206(h), it is the responsibility of the provider to maintain compliance with fire and life safety requirements.
    • CAB recommends keeping a record of the intermittent clinic's fire safety inspection clearance available in the facility.
    • Intermittent clinics must enroll directly with Medicare and receive their own Provider Transaction Access Number (PTAN). Medicare requires that the intermittent clinic be listed on the parent license prior to enrollment approval.

Questions

For questions regarding the intermittent notification process, contact intermittentclinics@dhcs.ca.gov.

For questions regarding the establishment of the intermittent clinic in the Provider Master File or to check if received by PED, email PED-FSP@dhcs.ca.gov.

Converting an Existing PCC to an Intermittent Clinic

A licensed PCC seeking to convert to an intermittent clinic must submit its request to CDPH first. To notify CDPH of converting a licensed PCC to an intermittent clinic, complete the required notification application packet. Submit a completed notification application packet to CAB.

Questions

For questions about the initial or change of ownership application submission process, contact CABClinics@cdph.ca.gov.

For questions about the report of change application submission process and intermittent clinics, contact CABNLTC@cdph.ca.gov.

For application status requests, include the following in the email:

  • Name of Facility or Agency
  • License or Facility/Agency # (if applicable)
  • Address
  • Facility or Provider Type
  • Date Documentation Sent
  • Contact Number

Intermittent Clinics Conversion and Family PACT Enrollment

Please note that DHCS’ PED automatically deactivates the provider’s Family PACT enrollment when they change provider types/NPIs so clinics will need to reapply for Family PACT once they make the change to intermittent clinic. Site certifiers need to have completed the provider orientation within the last two years to be able to continue serving as the location’s site certifier. If they have not, clinics should have the affected locations’ site certifiers complete the updated online trainings and attend provider orientation ahead of their clinic’s change.