The Coalition of
Orange County Community Clinics has been active in bringing the new state health insurance
plan, the Healthy Families program, to Orange County. Working families of modest incomes
without health insurance for their children became eligible as of July 1 for this new
state program that offers coverage for doctor visits, hospital care and prescription
drugs. The goal of Health Families is to find uninsured children whose families have
incomes 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,450, for a family of
four. The cost will vary, depending of family income and the type of health plan selected.
Applications are available through the Coalition office, community and free clinics,
community organizations, schools, day-care centers, county health programs, churches and
synagogues, and state government offices. The single application can be used for the
Health Families program or for MediCal, depending on the family’s income and family
size and other eligibility factors.
Through funding received from CalOPTIMA, the Coalition has been able to
assist families who are interested in applying for Healthy Families or MediCal beginning
July 1. The grant provides for application assistants to be stationed at the community and
free clinics and at additional community-based organizations within the clinic’s
communities. The application assistants are bi-lingual and bi-cultural so as fit the
clients they are serving. They are able to help the families with the actual application,
as well as providing information and answering questions.