On July 1, 2009, Medi-Cal reduced services for dental care, speech therapy, and other special types of health care. Medi-Cal is a state program that offers free health care services to qualifying individuals in California. Most of the people you support probably use Medi-Cal to pay for their health care services. Regional Centers may pay for some of the services Medi-Cal will not pay for based on the person you support’s Individual Program Plan (IPP). Contact your local Regional Center for more information. The people you support may have a hard time adjusting to the new limits on services. Here are some ways you can help them to stay healthy:
If the people you support (adults over 21) live in a licensed nursing home or sub acute facility, they will continue to receive dental services through Medi-Cal. However, if they live with their families, in the community, or in independent living, their dental services will not be paid for by Medi-Cal. You can support these people by:
Medi-Cal will no longer pay for or replace eyeglasses for people with low vision. You can help the people you support by taking good care of the glasses they have by:
Under the new Medi-Cal rules, hearing tests will no longer be paid for. However, Medi-Cal will still pay for new or replacement hearing aids. To find out what hearing services can be paid for, contact your local Regional Center. You can continue to help by paying close attention to the people you support by:
Under the new rules, some psychology services may no longer be paid for by Medi-Cal. Psychology services include counseling, therapy, and drugs for mental health. Regional Centers may pay for some of the psychology services not paid for by Medi-Cal. Contact your local Regional Center service coordinator for assistance. Click here to find your local regional center. Consider the following things to help the people you support stay healthy:
Are you prepared for flu season? Make sure that the people you support stay healthy this winter. Help them to get flu shots and be prepared for a possible H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak. This year people may need two shots, one for the regular flu and one for swine flu. Due to the H1N1 flu, it is especially important this year to avoid spreading the flu by washing hands and staying home if you get sick. Learn more about the flu and the H1N1 virus by following these links:
Download the attached newsletter to learn more about how to cope with the Medi-Cal reductions.
Last updated on April 26th, 2010