Good new from the Central Valley. Here’s a report from our Northern California Regional Organizer Rose Auguste:
Last week, on Tuesday, February 26th, the Tulare Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to implement the Low Income Health Program.
TulareCare, which is the name for Tulare County’s Low Income Health Program is expected to begin enrollment in April. TulareCare will provide many county residents access to healthcare service at any of the ten Family HealthCare Network clinics in the county, as well as the two county health clinics in Visalia, Farmersville and Tulare Community Health Clinic.
According to the Tulare County Medical Services about 1500 indigent residents will qualify for this program. To qualify for the TulareCare you must be a Tulare County resident with the maximum income of $700 a month.
Fifty three of the fifty eight counties have implemented Low Income Health Programs. Currently, California has over 600,000 residents enrolled in county based Low Income Health Programs. California is one of only five states that did an early expansion of Medicaid prior to January 2014, and has over ten times the enrollment of the other four states.
Tulare’s action means that these residents will get coverage early, but also that they will get Medi-Cal coveraeg on Day 1, January 1, 2014. Health Access commends Tulare and the vast majority of California counties for taking advantage of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and expanding access to its residents.