California will now be providing healthcare coverage to undocumented residents over the age of 50 in 2022. Residents over the age of 50 will now be eligible for Medi-cal coverage. For many years undocumented residents have neglected their care due to not having healthcare insurance or not being able to pay for their healthcare services.
Undocumented residents are still concerned with receiving any government assistance because of Public Charge. The Public Charge referred to individuals who primarily became dependent on government assistance and required ongoing care at the government's expense. These individuals would become inadmissible and ineligible to become lawful permanent residents. Today, many individuals fear to seek medical assistance in fear that Public Charge will affect their immigration status. However, this is not something that will be a concern effective next spring.
California and Gov. Gavin Newsom set forth a spending plan budget to help support Medi-cal coverage for the undocumented population over 50. Approximately 235,000 undocumented seniors will be eligible in the spring for Medi-cal coverage. The ultimate goal is for the entire population of California to have access to medical coverage.
As this change is approaching, Community Health Centers can help gear their focus towards reaching out to the undocumented residents to offer an opportunity for affordable quality care. Community Health Centers will need to engage with the undocumented population by promoting, educating, and encouraging patients to come into the clinics and establish care.
Curago can support Community Health Centers to prepare for this change by facilitating communication with patients to encourage them to come in for visits and establish care. Curago can also assist with making patients feel comfortable and gain trust in seeking healthcare services by allowing patients to pre-register for their visits from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, Curago can create seamless workflows geared towards patients over 50 that will help support patient visits and allow for smooth check-in processes.
