Counties and Clinics Partner to Provide Full-Scope Medi-Cal Benefits to Children Under 19 Regardless of Immigration Status

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SB 75, approved in 2015, provides full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to children under 19 regardless of their immigration status. In preparation for implementing SB 75, CWDA has been working closely with the California Endowment and the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) to facilitate communication and outreach efforts between local clinics and county human services departments. 

Children who are currently enrolled in restricted scope Medi-Cal were automatically transitioned to full-scope coverage when SB 75 took effect the week of May 16, 2016. As part of the outreach effort for this transition, counties and several community partners worked to identify children who were not not enrolled in Medi-Cal coverage so they too could apply for benefits before May and be included in the transition. Children who apply after SB 75 takes effect are automatically enrolled into full-scope Medi-Cal if they meet all other program eligibility criteria.  

Several clinics statewide serve the population of children who are not enrolled in Medi-Cal or are on restricted Medi-Cal. Because both clinic and county human service entities have been proactively working on outreach efforts to target the children who were not enrolled in restricted scope Medi-Cal, CWDA and CPCA have encouraged collaboration efforts between those entities.     

CWDA in partnership with Contra Costa, Merced, and Los Angeles counties provided CPCA members with information on how to best connect with local county human services departments as well as assisting individuals with online Medi-Cal applications. Clinics were informed of the different county online application portals, and how to register and set up Community Based Organization (CBO) accounts on the portals. Clinics were also informed that they can use the www.benefitscal.org site to locate the appropriate county portal that serves their community to help individuals apply for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs.   

Counties are also encouraged to get in touch with their local clinics to partner on outreach efforts and can use this link on the CPCA website to locate the clinics that serve their populations.