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California seniors and people with disabilities who have Medi-Cal have seen their benefits increased through a variety of expanded services such as medically adapted meals, transportation to and from appointments, home care, and home accessibility modifications. home, and long-term care transition assistance.
And the Department of Health Services (DHCS) continues to transform Medi-Cal so that the most vulnerable people can have efficient, equitable and quality medical services.
Thus, older adults and people with disabilities who are eligible for both Medi-Cal and Medicare can have dual plans in 12 counties that integrate these services.
Additionally, the recent expansion of Medi-Cal and the elimination of asset limits, such as bank accounts, property or owning a second car, no longer count towards medical care, helping more people qualify for Medi-Cal coverage, experts said during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
They explained that Medi-Cal programs are helping older and disabled Californians live healthier lives at home through prevention and consistency; This goes beyond the doctor's office or hospital and seeks to meet all the physical and mental health needs of the community.
Dana Durham, chief of the division of quality and supervision of Managed Care at the Department of Health Services, explained that she is working so that Medi-Cal has a complete service, not from the illness in the hospital or from the emergency, but from prevention.
In that sense, he commented that one of the most notable changes in the expansion of the Medi-Cal service is the community service, where complex issues are sought to be treated in a personalized way through a manager who serves as a guide to know and understand everything. that the medical service offers, in this way it will be adapted to the needs of each person from the understanding of their limitations.
?Managers help manage the system since not everyone has the ability to understand it, and it becomes more complex in older adults, but language is also the main limitation?, Durham stressed.
Anastasia Dodson, deputy director of the Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration at the Department of Health Care Services, explained that people with Medicare can also sign up for Medi-Cal to get broader service.
?Medical works together with Medicare to cover the payments and costs of prescription drugs, it serves to have a broader service because some Medicare benefits are not available in Medi-Cal?, said.
Likewise, he highlighted the elimination of assets to be a Medi-Cal beneficiary, which means that any amount of assets or bank accounts does not impact eligibility, only the salary and how many people are in the home, a change that was carried out since January 2024 to give more opportunities to the community to acquire the benefit of services.
?Our goal is to make healthcare more affordable and more efficient from the moment you subscribe.?, Dodson said..
Jenna LaPlante, senior director of Care Management Programs at the Institute on Aging, said they have welcomed seniors who have Medi-Cal with the goal of connecting people to the services they need.
LaPlante works with 9 counties in the state, provides special care, and coordinates management and community support with other services in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Alameda, among others.
Likewise, he explained that they are working with care plans to reach more places; The goal is to work with those adults who have not had any benefits, in addition to hiring people who are bilingual, who have a different culture to connect with the most vulnerable communities, added Jenna LaPlante.
?The goal is to have providers available who can help people in any language and care coordination is currently being offered for seniors and people with disabilities.?, he pointed out.
Carrie Madden, director of the Aging and Disability Resource Connection Program of Central and South LA, commented that they provide support and help through phone calls, listening and linking the help they need.
For Medi-Cal or Medicare beneficiaries, the services available are greater and the opportunities to obtain needed help increase, so purchasing Medi-Cal services is encouraged.
Keith Miller, executive director of Communities Living Actively Independent and Free (CALI), explained that with the changes more support can be provided to people, working in coordination with the rehabilitation department and other areas that provide emotional support, housing, legal case management and some others.
The focus is on older and disabled people to provide them with continuous preventive services, but Medi-Cal also gives the opportunity to provide more precise care when faced with a serious illness or medical issue.
Miller mentioned that 51 percent of his employees are people with some disability, so providing help to this sector of the community is a commitment that begins with each person.
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