The California Department of Health Care Services, together with Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, works to transform the delivery of health services in California and ensure that vulnerable populations access the medical services that will help them live lives healthier
by Xochitl TC
Since the beginning of 2024, Medi-Cal does not require verification of assets, such as cars or bank accounts – among others -, eliminating the asset limit so that elderly or disabled people can be considered as candidates for the health service. . Therefore, people with complex health situations who manage to access the program will be able to receive the necessary medical care. In addition, Enhanced Care Management (ECM) will provide them with personalized attention in the 14 services provided by the care plans provided by the health program.
Sandy Clore, Director of California Health Services, who was present at the sixth virtual meeting held last Wednesday, July 10, stated that “Medi-Cal is transforming the delivery of health services in California and DHCS is working to achieve “so that Californians have the services they need to live healthier lives.”
For her part, Dana Durham, representative of the DHCS Division of Care Monitoring and Control, said that the most important task of her department is to guarantee that preventive health services are affordable for Medication candidates. Cal Service. She also stated that the institution is working on the innovation of more culturally inclusive and less restrictive medical services by evaluating social factors such as place of origin, residence, work, among others; as well as through the study of risk factors, such as the spaces where they live and the impact on health that these represent.
ECM and Community Support seek to bring Medi-Cal to communities
Starting in 2022, DHCS Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Support maintain coordinated medical prevention actions to provide improved, focused and equitable care to the most vulnerable members to prevent them from attending emergency rooms for health complications.
Medi-Cal is also aimed at seniors who have complex health situations or disabilities. Each member has a personal advisor who helps them navigate the System and provides management support during the evaluation process of each candidate. In this way, the advisors follow up on each individual. In the event that medically needy people do not have a home, advisors will go to where they require them. For this reason, managers not only monitor the medical needs of each candidate, but also the social needs, among which are monitoring access to safe housing, healthy meals and recovery from illnesses to prevent the beneficiary requires a more expensive level of care.
MediCare and Medi-Cal Figures
“Medi-Cal is one of the most complete California State Health Systems and is aimed at low-income Californians,” this is how Anastasia Dodson, Deputy Director of the California Department of Health Care Services, began her participation. After that, she added that “in California there are about 6.6 million people who benefit from Medicare, and of these, 1.6 million Californians have both programs,” which make it easier for them to cover medical expenses in complex health situations.
However, Dodson highlighted that part of the California population is unaware that they can have access to both health programs. She explained in this sense that to achieve this they only have to verify the minimum salary income that Medi-Cal requires, which currently corresponds to $1,732 dollars per month if it is a single person; or $2,351 per month if Medi-Cal coverage as a couple is required.
They invite you to apply for health programs
The Deputy Director of the California Department of Health Care Services emphasized that people should apply to health programs to take advantage of their benefits, as they provide an affordable, efficient, expanded and transformed health care system for the benefit of all. community.
Regarding Californians who have not yet been candidates to access Medi-Cal, Dodson indicated that they seek to have a better implementation from a social perspective through the participants of the different associations in the state and also pursue real recognition of the promotion of well-being with the inclusion of health promoters.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Health Care Services concluded by stating that collaboration between providers, health managers and beneficiaries is essential to reduce the deficiencies and social gaps that may be generated when trying to receive a health service in this state.
CalAIM Programs and the Institute of Aging provide community support
Jenna LaPlante, Senior Director of CalAIM Programs, indicated that “it is always important to have a team willing to intervene efficiently to reach the beneficiary of the service.” In that sense, goals must be set based on inclusion, empathy and clarity that contribute to specifying the work plan, she said.
He also pointed out that people can contact the Institute of Aging to ask questions about how to be beneficiaries of Medi-Cal, which is present in nine counties: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Alameda, Riverside , San Bernardino and Merced.
The Institute of Aging works together to serve the older adult communities of California and has capable and culturally adapted bilingual staff who act in coordination with the different institutions to provide support, finance adaptation and mobility improvements; in addition to exercising its intervention in the payment of assistance and health services in general for the elderly population of the golden state.
Medi-Cal is present in 12 California counties
Although members of both programs can combine medical benefits, Medi-Cal has coverage for: doctor visits, prescription drugs, vaccines, mental health services, substance use treatment, vision care/glasses, dental care, hearing aids, transportation, home support services, long-term care, emergency services, consultations with specialists, among others, says the DHCS website.
Medi-Cal is currently present in Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Orange Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Tulare counties and is expected to be implemented nationwide by 2026. Golden State.
The application processes can be initiated by telephone, by email, or in person at one of the Medi-Cal offices. To find out the nearest headquarters you can visit https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/.
