A Countdown to Health4All Kids!
Next month, California will take a critical step toward securing the health of the state’s children. On May 16, 2016, full-scope Medi-Cal will officially expand to all low-income children, regardless of immigration status. The countdown to coverage for undocumented children across California has begun!
Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the state budget, which included new funding for Medi-Cal (SB 75), and expanded access to affordable, quality health care—including preventive care—for all lower-income children younger than 19 years old, regardless of immigration status. At the end of 2015, legislation was enacted (SB 4) to ensure that children already enrolled in restricted-scope Medi-Cal coverage would be transitioned to full-scope Medi-Cal without having to fill out an additional application. Under the expansion, at least 170,000 undocumented immigrant children will have the security health insurance provides.
Now, it’s time to make this expansion a reality and make sure families know about this opportunity. Here are a few resources and upcoming events that we hope you will share with your community.
1. Health4All Kids Website
A group of children, immigrant, and health advocates launched www.health4allkids.org, a brand new website that provides resources for families impacted by the upcoming Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income children, regardless of immigration status.Please share with your community and be sure to check back regularly for updates! An expanded toolkit for organizations will be coming soon.
2. Telemundo Health4All Kids Segment
Tune in to Telemundo to learn about the Medi-Cal expansion for undocumented children. Hosted by Edgardo Gazcón, this special segment will cover the basics of the Medi-Cal expansion and how to enroll. The program is sponsored by The California Endowment and will include interviews with The Children’s Partnership, National Immigration Law Center, and Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center. Check out the listings below to see when these shows are airing near you. If you miss one of the segments, you will be able to watch it after the airdate on the Telemundo Asegúrate site.
Acceso Total Special
- Telemundo 52 Los Angeles, Thursday, April 7, 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, April 21, 10:00 a.m.
- Telemundo 33 San Diego, Saturday, April 9, 5:30 p.m.
- Telemundo 51 Fresno, Saturday, April 9, 11:30 a.m.
Want to learn more? Join the Linea de Ayuda. Telemundo 52 viewers will be able to learn more about the Medi-Cal expansion for undocumented children. Edgardo Gazcón will share more on eligibility and urge viewers to call the California Health Plus Local Clinic Finder hotline (855-899-7587) for more information.
o Telemundo 52 Los Angeles, Thursday, April 14, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
3) Health4All Kids Webinar
On Wednesday, April 20, policy experts and fellow community organizations will host a webinar to help California community-based organizations, clinics, enrollment entities, and interested local leaders prepare for this historic expansion of Medi-Cal to undocumented children in California! This webinar will discuss the upcoming changes to children’s health coverage, delve into implementation challenges, and share strategies for community groups to better reach eligible families and their children so they are enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal as soon as possible. California policy, legal, and health enrollment experts will be on hand to answer questions and describe the information and resources available in the soon-to-be-launched Health4All Kids online toolkit on www.health4allkids.org.
Be sure to stay tuned for more activities and resources leading up to the full-scope Medi-Cal expansion for children. As always, please reach out if you are interested in partnering with us on activities to help make sure all children can get affordable, quality coverage and care. Thank you for your partnership!
