More than 100,000 California children under the age of five experience gaps in healthcare coverage each year. That’s why the CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan wrote a letter supporting a request for federal matching funds to provide continuous coverage for young Medi-Cal and CHIP beneficiaries through four years of age. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has asked for an amendment to the California Advancing and Innovation Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Section 1115 demonstration to provide that continuous coverage.
It’s critical that all California children have sustained and reliable access to health care to ensure they are on a path to a lifetime of health and well-being. The state has implemented several initiatives to prevent loss of Medi-Cal coverage, including simplifying the renewal process, extending eligibility periods, and providing outreach support. This amendment builds upon the success of those efforts.
DHCS is specifically asking that the demonstration be amended to include expenditure authority to receive federal matching funds for continuous health coverage for children through the end of the month in which their fifth birth falls, regardless of when they first enroll in Medi-Cal or CHIP, and regardless of changes in circumstances that would otherwise cause a loss of eligibility.
L.A. Care’s CEO writes that ensuring uninterrupted access to health care will not only make for healthier children, but it will foster a sense of security and stability that is essential for a child’s development. He also says continuous coverage for these young children is one of the most impactful investments in the state’s future.