Millions of Californians have been left without medical service due to the lack of information to complete their Medi-Cal renewal procedures, with the farming communities being the most affected, due to the lack of knowledge of being a beneficiary and no idea of the process to be carried out.
During the pandemic, medical services covered all residents of the United States, but this year they were required to renew their Medi-Cal service and update their information to continue coverage.
However, more than 15 million residents - approximately 40 percent of Californians - have been left without health coverage because they did not complete their procedures.
During the radio program Peninsula 360 Press, in collaboration with Marcos Gutiérrez, from ?Hecho en California?, journalist Manuel Ortiz commented that he visited the community of Tulelake, in Siskiyou County, where he interviewed some farmers to learn how they deal with a health emergency and to find out if they have medical service.
He said that the responses heard from the farmers were not favorable, since most of them prefer to endure the discomfort or visit the doctor with their own resources.
When asked about the Medi-Cal renewal service, farmers responded that they did not know about this issue, so completing the corresponding procedure becomes almost impossible for them.
In that sense, he said that it is regrettable that millions of people are left without medical coverage due to lack of information since, in many cases, their lives depend on this service, some sick people undergo long and very specific treatments with constant check-ups and medications, so losing your Medi-Cal represents a risk to your life.
Anna Lee Mraz explained that there are various ways to continue with Medi-Cal service, for example, for people over 50 years of age, the service is completely free, regardless of their immigration status.
Mraz assured that many people fear being part of Medi-Cal programs because they believe that they can put their stay in the country at risk; However, this is not the case, since there is a data privacy contract that protects people.
It is important to remember that even people who are not qualified for Medi-Cal are entitled to medical services, since they can obtain low-cost health insurance through Covered California, which is the state's marketplace for insurance plans. doctor.
He recommended that if a person knows that they are a beneficiary and does not know the renewal process, they should locate the nearest Medi-Cal office, go to a hospital or medical center and request information. You can also mark at 1 800 223 8383 for San Mateo County.
It is important to verify the requirements for each county, since not all have the same process.
For more information it is recommended to visit the following pages:
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/mantenga-su-medi-cal.aspx
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