When Simone, a young mother, fled domestic violence and came to California, she lost both her job and her home. She spent two months in a hotel until her money ran out, and then she was on the street. A case manager at St. John’s Community Health in Los Angeles enrolled her in Samaritan, a support platform that combines social encouragement, philanthropic and incentive-based financial support, and care navigation.

With that lifeline, Simone stayed connected to her case manager while she navigated long waitlists and inspections for housing. When she moved in, Samaritan resources helped her cover basic household needs—pots, pans, toilet paper, a bed—so her empty apartment became a real home. “Having someone in my corner who could answer my questions and cheer me on kept me going,” she told her team.

Simone’s journey is one of many stories that illustrate the power of integrating health and social support through CalAIM’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports.

Meeting People Where They Are

Samaritan partners with Medi-Cal managed care plans such Molina Healthcare, Anthem, and Health Net and equips frontline providers—ECM, Community Supports, and street medicine teams—with a simple but transformative tool that that helps members overcome barriers.

Members meet with their care manager, set health and housing goals, and receive:

• Financial incentives (up to $40 per month) for steps such as attending a follow-up visit, completing an individualized health and social plan, or meeting a housing milestone.
• Flexible philanthropic funds to address immediate needs—bus passes, hygiene supplies, household goods—often the difference between being able to take the next step or not.
• Messages of encouragement from community supporters, which many participants say is as meaningful as the financial help.

This integrated approach breaks down barriers that often keep people from following care plans. “We’re really using the power of relationships to drive the system forward,” said Ashish Pamula, Samaritan’s Market Vice President.

Lifting Up Providers and Strengthening Partnerships

With ECM and Community Supports patients making up more than 90% of their client base, Samaritan leaders and staff stay connected with partners through Providing Access and Transform Health Collaborative Planning and Implementation groups in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, Pamula says. “The groups help us know what’s going on in the community. What is this county focusing on? What are the providers thinking about, and what can we do to take a little bit of the load off of them and offer what we can here at Samaritan?”

More than 230 front-line partners partner with Samaritan to support high-need patients, and 93% of partners say they would recommend using the platform to a colleague.

Members and partners consistently report that Samaritan makes their work easier and more effective.

“It has helped me be more focused on getting things I need done, and the money has helped with basic things like soap and washing my clothes.” — Molina Samaritan Member

“Clients who previously would go missing are now checking in on their own.” — Street Medicine Peer Navigator

By filling small but critical gaps—transportation, food, a phone charger—Samaritan helps ECM and Community Supports teams keep people engaged in care longer, which improves both outcomes and staff morale.

Delivering Measurable Results

Independent and plan-based evaluations show that Samaritan’s model drives the kind of change CalAIM was designed to achieve:

• 91% of nearly 12,000 care-plan goals completed by Members were met, including 86% of goals related to attending healthcare appointments.
• Samaritan participation was linked to a 20% increase in primary-care visits, supporting better chronic-disease management and patient stability.
• A 35% reduction in emergency-department visits and a significant drop in inpatient stays were recorded among high-utilizing members.
• An 18% reduction in total cost of care helps plans stabilize budgets and re-invest in supportive services.

The California Health Care Foundation’s independent evaluation of the Los Angeles pilot confirmed these trends: Members reported increased self-efficacy, better access to care, reduced isolation, and lower overall costs due to less emergency care use and more appropriate use of primary and specialty care.

A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience

Both Ashish Pamula and Tess Kursel, Samaritan’s Director of Customer and Partner Success, bring their own lived experience of growing up in low-income or housing-insecure communities to their work.

“I remember seeing my parents struggle to afford gas for the car and take the bus everywhere,” Pamula said. “I wanted to do something that was the opposite of what I saw growing up—something that helps make my community better.”

Kursel added: “We get to deliver care in a way that feels dignifying—seeing people’s individuality and giving them agency. Even something like buying your own favorite spices at the grocery store can be incredibly important”.

Advancing CalAIM’s Vision

By combining flexible financial tools, community encouragement, and practical partnership with frontline providers, Samaritan is helping Medi-Cal members move from crisis toward stability. It is also helping managed care plans and  providers demonstrate how CalAIM investments in whole-person care lead to healthier people and smarter use of healthcare resources.

As California and other states seek scalable ways to better serve people with complex health and social needs, Samaritan’s experience shows what’s possible when we pair empathy with evidence.

To find out if Samaritan could help your organization meet your needs, visit samaritan.city, or reach out to Ashish directly at ap@samaritan.city