2 Filipina panelists participate
SAN BERNARDINO – New America Media, in partnership with Harbage Consulting, held a roundtable discussion on Cal MediConnect on Thursday, March 6, at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino, CA.
New America Media Executive Director Sandy Close initiated the roundtable discussion and introduced Filipina panelists, Carolyn Joyce, Ramona De Guzman and Gilbert Sauceda), who shared their concerns on Cal MediConnect. Frontline practitioners, service providers and beneficiaries also participated in the event as well.
Cal MediConnect is a new health care plan (a merging of Medicare and Medi-Cal) for low-income seniors and people with disabilities, who have both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits and services (making them ‘dual eligible beneficiaries’).
According to the California Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) website, the Cal MediConnect program “aims to create a seamless service delivery experience for dual eligible beneficiaries, with the ultimate goals of improved care quality, better health and a more efficient delivery system.”
“Cal MediConnect brings a better California healthcare system, especially for individuals with high health needs,” said Ryan MacDonald, Strategic Communications and Outreach deputy director.
Eligibility
To qualify for Cal MediConnect program, people must have full benefits from both Medicare (covers all health care services and provides for most prescription drugs) and Medi-Cal (a government insurance program for people with limited income). Low-income seniors (ages 65 and older) and disabled people in California will be benefit more from the new health plan.
MacDonald stated that coordinated care is the biggest benefit from the Cal MediConnect pal. It will help eligible participants to save more money in a “single organized delivery system.”
Enrollment for Cal MediConnect plan will be implemented from April 2014 to March 2015 in eight California counties (Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino). Mail notifications for eligible individuals started on January 2014.
Estimation
CalDuals.org (Cal MediConnect’s website managed by Harbage Consulting) says roughly 456,000 beneficiaries are likely to be enrolled in the program (including 40,000 eligible San Bernardino and Riverside County residents).
According to DHCS, the Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI) population in these eight California counties show that 30 percent of Cal MediConnect eligibles are non-Hispanic white, 23 percent are Asian American and 10 percent are African American.
Cal MediConnect program is part of California’s larger Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI) and is funded by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek March 12-14, 2014 Sec A pg.1)
