St. Francis helps families through school-based program
It was their entrance into a pool of insured families in the Lynwood and Bellflower areas that for a long time could not afford a satisfying health care coverage.
In a simple yet significant March 23 ceremony at St. Francis Medical Center’s health benefits resource center, Maria and Ana represented families recognized for their efforts to access health care for their school age children.
Also present were representatives of Universal Care Medical and Dental Groups. Together with the Lynwood-based hospital and other partner agencies, they work to enable the county’s outreach program increase health care access for eligible students (up to age 18) and families through Healthy Kids, Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and other free or low-cost health programs.
The school-based health insurance outreach annual open enrollment period started April 15 and ends May 31. During this period, enrolled beneficiaries have an opportunity to choose a new plan or make changes to their current plan, effective July 1.
The outreach includes information and training sessions for parents, teachers and other school staff about the low-cost insurance programs available for families, regardless of their legal status. Once enrolled, thousands of children can access emergency and preventative medical care.
The program was launched 10 years ago, funded by First 5 L.A. and the county’s Department of Public Health, aiming to cover the uninsured population. According to UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research, about 2.7 million in Los Angeles are uninsured; 7 million statewide.
Other agencies partnering with LACOE are Little Company of Mary, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, City of Long Beach, Volunteers of East L.A. and Venice Family Clinic.
During the school year the agencies co-host with LACOE-Healthy Kids presentation of service events or enrollment events at K-12 schools, alternative education schools, juvenile court and special education schools as well as community sites throughout L.A. County.
Presentations are also held at parishes in low-income areas of L.A.
María Carrillo sought assistance in May 2010 at a Universal Care office in Bellflower, where she resides with her husband and six children ages 4-18. Her very basic premium helped cover routine medical check-ups, but when her 14-year-old son Brian was diagnosed with tuberculosis, her worries increased and she sought expert advice.
When she learned about the partnership, she said she felt relieved. Her son received immediate assistance at St. Francis.
Ana Gomez arrived in L.A. from Bakersfield a year ago with her husband, an unemployed car mechanic, and their two sons, ages two and four.
She learned about the program by word of mouth. Soon, her children were enrolled in a “satisfying and professional” health program, she said.
The goal is to cover the largest quantity of families as possible, said Ana Solis, manager of St. Francis’ health benefits resource center. For every 100 families that apply to the outreach program on a monthly basis, only about two are denied health care access because clients fail to provide the proper information.
“We don’t deny access to anybody,” she told The Tidings.
For more information about the Health Outreach Program Partnership, call Tim Knapp, (562) 922-6043 or visit www.lacoe.edu/healthoutreach. For St. Francis Medical Center’s Health Benefits Resource Center, call (800) 603-9355.
In a simple yet significant March 23 ceremony at St. Francis Medical Center’s health benefits resource center, Maria and Ana represented families recognized for their efforts to access health care for their school age children.
Also present were representatives of Universal Care Medical and Dental Groups. Together with the Lynwood-based hospital and other partner agencies, they work to enable the county’s outreach program increase health care access for eligible students (up to age 18) and families through Healthy Kids, Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and other free or low-cost health programs.
The school-based health insurance outreach annual open enrollment period started April 15 and ends May 31. During this period, enrolled beneficiaries have an opportunity to choose a new plan or make changes to their current plan, effective July 1.
The outreach includes information and training sessions for parents, teachers and other school staff about the low-cost insurance programs available for families, regardless of their legal status. Once enrolled, thousands of children can access emergency and preventative medical care.
The program was launched 10 years ago, funded by First 5 L.A. and the county’s Department of Public Health, aiming to cover the uninsured population. According to UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research, about 2.7 million in Los Angeles are uninsured; 7 million statewide.
Other agencies partnering with LACOE are Little Company of Mary, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, City of Long Beach, Volunteers of East L.A. and Venice Family Clinic.
During the school year the agencies co-host with LACOE-Healthy Kids presentation of service events or enrollment events at K-12 schools, alternative education schools, juvenile court and special education schools as well as community sites throughout L.A. County.
Presentations are also held at parishes in low-income areas of L.A.
María Carrillo sought assistance in May 2010 at a Universal Care office in Bellflower, where she resides with her husband and six children ages 4-18. Her very basic premium helped cover routine medical check-ups, but when her 14-year-old son Brian was diagnosed with tuberculosis, her worries increased and she sought expert advice.
When she learned about the partnership, she said she felt relieved. Her son received immediate assistance at St. Francis.
Ana Gomez arrived in L.A. from Bakersfield a year ago with her husband, an unemployed car mechanic, and their two sons, ages two and four.
She learned about the program by word of mouth. Soon, her children were enrolled in a “satisfying and professional” health program, she said.
The goal is to cover the largest quantity of families as possible, said Ana Solis, manager of St. Francis’ health benefits resource center. For every 100 families that apply to the outreach program on a monthly basis, only about two are denied health care access because clients fail to provide the proper information.
“We don’t deny access to anybody,” she told The Tidings.
For more information about the Health Outreach Program Partnership, call Tim Knapp, (562) 922-6043 or visit www.lacoe.edu/healthoutreach. For St. Francis Medical Center’s Health Benefits Resource Center, call (800) 603-9355.
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