Information and articles from these newsletters are housed on the San Luis Obispo County Health Access website. The website is updated frequently and is intended as a resource for professionals working with children ages 0-5 and their families.

Please visit: SLOHealthAccess.org.

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Making Sense of Medi-Cal Changes Training:

A Follow-Up Q&A Session

Free, virtual Q&A session for any SLO County family-serving professionals who have questions about Medi-Cal changes.

March 6, 9-10 a.m.

REGISTER HERE

Join us live on Zoom on March 6, 9-10 a.m. with any questions you have for the presenters of our recent Making Sense of Medi-Cal Changes training. We heard you ask for more Q&A time, and here it is! There will not be a formal presentation, just bring your questions for representatives from:

• County of SLO Department of Social Services
• CenCal Health Member Services
• CenCal Health CalAIM Services

You do not need to have attended the training to come to the Q&A.

New CAPSLO North County Family Resource Center

A new North County Family Resource Center at 704 Spring Street, Paso Robles, includes the following programs:

• Help Me Grow, free developmental screening and system navigation for children ages 0-5.
• Child Care Resource Connection, help with finding child care and child care licensing.
• Early Head Start & Head Start registrations.
• Home and Energy Efficiency Program applications.
• Parent support groups (see article below).

Walk-ins are welcome from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Call 805-440-1878 with questions.

New Groups for Parents with Young Children

Play With Me! is an in-person support group for parents and caregivers with children ages 0 - 3 in Paso Robles. Adults and children participate together with a focus on play, crafts, and fun learning. This pilot group is offered monthly in English only for now. 6-7:30 p.m. at the CAPSLO Family Resource Center, 704 Spring Street in Paso Robles. See flier for dates. Clients can register for the group here.

Learn With Me! is a monthly, bi-lingual, virtual workshop series to support parents and caregivers with children ages 0 - 3. Sessions provide practical information about child development, healthy sleep habits, potty training and more! 6:30-7:15 p.m. on Zoom. See the flier for dates. Your clients can sign up here.

Mixteco Interpretation at San Miguel Library

Free Mixteco interpretation services on the first Saturday of the month from February through June, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the San Miguel library, 254 13th Street. No library card or appointment is required.

Anyone can sit down one-on-one with an interpreter for the following:

• understanding paperwork or things they have received in the mail
• interpretation on a phone call (or in-person)
• assistance with filling out and understanding forms.

Download the flier here. Visit the San Miguel Library website for a video in Mixteco promoting the interpretation services. For questions, contact Grant Thompson, Branch Manager, gthompson@slolibrary.org.

Medi-Cal Doula Benefit for Pregnant Women

Doulas provide health education and non-medical support before, during, and after childbirth. They help women prepare for childbirth, support the new mom at home after birth, and provide continuous help during labor. Doulas help prevent complications and improve health outcomes for moms and infants.

Medi-Cal now covers doula services before birth, at delivery, and postpartum. Members need a Treatment Authorization Request (TAR) submitted by a doctor to CenCal Health. Two SLO County doulas are currently accepting Medi-Cal. More information at: Doula Benefit Quick Reference Guide.

Key Medi-Cal Takeaways from the Making Sense of Medi-Cal Changes training

1. More people can qualify for Medi-Cal now! Immigration status is no longer a barrier to Medi-Cal eligibility. The state has been phasing in eligibility for undocumented residents by age group for several years and all ages are eligible to apply now. (Since income limits apply to Medi-Cal and undocumented residents are not eligible for Covered California plans, some residents will remain without access to health insurance.)

2. Again, more people can qualify for Medi-Cal now! Asset limits have been eliminated. There is no longer a limit on the value of property that a Medi-Cal beneficiary can own. (Income limits are still in place, so an applicant will need to supply information about the income they receive from their property, such as interest on bank accounts or dividends from stock shares.)

3. Medi-Cal redetermination continues. In 2020, eligibility renewals were temporarily waived to help people with Medi-Cal keep their health coverage during the pandemic Since California restarted eligibility renewals in April 1, 2023, many Medi-Cal beneficiaries have lost their coverage because they have not supplied current contact information to the Department of Social Services or returned their redetermination packets.

Here's how you can help clients stay enrolled in Medi-Cal: 

• Encourage families on Medi-Cal to report any changes in contact information to the SLO County Department of Social Services. 

• Remind Medi-Cal members to watch the mail for their redetermination package in a large yellow envelope and to send it back promptly. These envelopes cannot be automatically forwarded to a new address. The envelopes are very anonymous looking and could be mistaken for junk mail.

• Send families who need more help to their DSS worker or to Public Health's Health Care Navigation Service. If their DSS caseworker is not available, the duty worker, who is assigned to handle walk-ins and calls of the day, will assist with completion of the redetermination packet.

• If a family loses their Medi-Cal because their income is too high but then their income changes, they can submit proof of their new income within 90 days of the denial and Medi-Cal will be reinstated without completing a new application. 

• If a family no longer qualifies for Medi-Cal, they might be automatically enrolled in a Covered California plan that can provide low-cost insurance. They must still sign an agreement and perhaps pay a premium to become fully enrolled.