FA R M L A B O R I N F O R M AT I O N B U L L E T I N
Voice of the Fields California
September 2016
FREE
Volume 26, Number 9
Medi-Cal: #Health4All Kids
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n 2015, California passed a law that allows all low-income undocumented children and youth under 19 years old to enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal. This May all low-income children, regardless of immigration status, became eligible to enroll in fullscope Medi-Cal – and access preventative health services.
Prior to the #Health4All Kids Medi-Cal expansion, undocumented children only had access to restrictedscope Medi-Cal, commonly known as “emergency Medi-Cal,” which provided services in the case of a medical emergency. The newly available full-scope coverage, for undocumented children, now covers all medical services including: medical, vision, dental, mental health, and prescriptions. In order for your child to access fullscope Medi-Cal you will need to enroll your child into the program at your local clinic or county services department. If your child was previously enrolled in restricted-scope, you were notified of the Medi-Cal expansion and your child was automatically enrolled in full-scope. It is important to note that your child’s local or county health program will not automatically transfer your child into Medi-Cal. You will have to enroll your child if they were not previously enrolled in restricted-scope (emergency) Medi-Cal. Contact your child’s local insurance program or Kaiser program for
information about how long your child’s current coverage will continue after enrollment in Medi-Cal. The recent #Health4All Kids Medi-Cal expansion ensures that all children in California, regardless of immigration status, have access to preventative health care. To find more information and locate your local clinic – visit: www.localclinic.net or call (855) 899-7587.
What services does MediCal provide? Medi-Cal covers various preventive health services including doctor visits and vaccinations. Below is a list of examples of the types of health services covered by Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal covers essential health benefits, including the following: • Outpatient services • Emergency services • Hospitalization • Maternity and newborn care • Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services
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Prescription Drugs Rehabilitation Laboratory services Preventive and wellness services & chronic disease management • Pediatric services Dental care, vision services, and speech therapy are typically only covered for individuals under 21 years old, or undocumented individuals under 19 years old, but others may qualify. For more information on dental services through Medi-Cal fee- for-service, please visit the Denti-Cal website at www.dentical.ca.gov.
How can I enroll in Medi-Cal? You can apply to enroll in MediCal through your local county social services department, in person or by mail. County office locations can be found by visiting www.dhcs.ca.gov and searching “County Offices” in the upper right hand corner. You may also enroll Continued on next page
Breaking News
On September 12, 2016 Governor Brown signed AB 1066 into law. Read more about AB 1066 in the October issue to learn how the law impacts agricultural workers’ wages, hours, and working conditions.