Our vision statement: Disability Rights California will change the system so it values diversity, culture and each individual

Links to other resources

Health benefits, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, private health plans

250% Working Disabled Medi-Cal Program (pdf) - provides full-scope Medi-Cal to working disabled individuals with countable income below 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

ADAP Advocacy Association - the ADAP Advocacy Association (aaa+) promotes and enhances the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improves access to care for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

California Health Advocates - information on Medicare coverage for Californians and resources for professionals working with California's Medicare population.

The California Healthy Families and Medi-Cal Enrollment Entities, Certified Application Assistants newsletter is now available (Added 9/2/10)

California Healthline - daily digest of health news, policy and opinion from the California Healthcare Foundation.

California Patient's Guide - is from the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), California's HMO watchdog agency. Designed to help consumers and advocates deal with HMO problems.

California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. - quarterly newsletter, Tribal Health Advisor.

CANHR - California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform - lawyer referral service for abuse, neglect, estate planning and trust cases - 1-800-474-1116 - also has information about nursing facilities (including IMDs); lists of nursing facility citations; publication lists; recent articles from CANHR newsletters; legislative updates.

California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) - mission is to protect and promote the health status of Californians through the financing and delivery of individual health care services.

California Department of Managed Health Care – 1-888-466-2219 – help for resolving problems with HMOs, complaint process, independent medical review for those who qualify, valuable information to keep California health care consumers informed.

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) - will provide more focused state leadership in public health and health care financing and create a more effective public health infrastructure in California. 

California Medicare Options - Rates every Medicare HMO in California, as well as select Medigap policies, giving each a one- to five-star rating based on total benefits for the money Disability Benefits 101 - health coverage and benefit programs for workers and job seekers - descriptions of state, federal and private benefit programs, articles, guides to health and benefit programs, access to local resources, search engine, site map, tutorial, newsletter.

The Center for Personal Assistance Services (PAS) Newsletter keeps subscribers informed of activities as well as events and news in Personal Assitance Services.

www.cleaningforareason.org: Service for cleaning the homes of cancer patients (Added 7/12/10)

Consumer Alert - Get Health Care in Your Language! (pdf), - a new law (SB853) that went into effect in January 2009, says private health plans must give you health care in your language.

Current Assisted Living Waiver, cms.gov (Added 9/16/10)

Disability Health Coalition - a coalition of organizations with the common goal of increasing access to health care for people with disabilities.

Families USA Foundation - the voice for health care consumers, a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health and long-term care for all Americans; many publications available at no charge to advocates; links to related sites, jobs, news releases, federal legislation.

Foster Care Resource List 2008 - links to ombudsmen, health and mental health contacts, and more for foster families.

Health Advocates Guide to the Internet - working for justice in health care for low income people.

The Health Consumer Alliance - HCA helps low-income Californians get the health care they need.

Health Rights Hotline - tells consumers in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties about their health care rights; answers questions about health care coverage and managed care. Also available: referrals to other resources and advocacy materials.

Healthcare.gov, a site to help people learn about health insurance, what they may qualify for, and more (Added 7/6/10)

Healthfinder - Department of Health and Human Services site. Searchable by subject; has links to information from government health agencies, public health groups, professional groups, universities, support groups, medical journals.

Healthopedia.com - Medical and health consumer information in patient-friendly language on 1,500 topics, 70 focused health centers, 11,000 drugs and medications.

Healthy Families and MRMIB regulations - Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) was created to advise the Governor and the legislature on strategies for reducing the number of uninsured persons in the state. MRMIB is dedicated to improving the health of Californians by increasing access to affordable, comprehensive, quality health care coverage. MRMIB administers four health care programs. They are: Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM) program; The Healthy Families Program (HFP); the Health Insurance Plan of California (HIPC); and the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP).

Help Central - search on line for health and human services in Butte County; also offers a seasonal list of low- and no-cost services for individuals and families during the winter holidays.

Home and Community-Based Long-Term Care: Recommendations to Improve Access for Californians (pdf), California Community Choices.

Inter-County Transfers (pdf), LSNC.net (Added 7/21/10)

Kids Data - Data for all counties, cities and school districts in California. Wide range of topics measuring the health and welfare of children - Child Safety, Demographics, Diesabilities, Special Health Care Needs, Education & Child Care, Emotional & Behavioral Health, Family Economics, Physical Health and Public Opinion.

Medicaid Waiver 101 Workshop materials, 6/11/09

    Medicaid_Waiver_101 (pdf), Peter Harbage, Peter Harbage Consulting LLC, and Theresa Sachs & Jim Frizzera, Health Management Associates;

    A Roadmap to Coverage - Working Committee Summary Report - Implementing a Childless Adult Medi-Cal Waiver in California (pdf), Blue Shield of California;

    Playing Catch-Up: California Can Improve Medi-Cal Access and Coverage by Obtaining Available and Additional Federal Support (pdf), Blue Shield of California;

    Medi-Cal’s Most Costly FFS Populations: A Look at the Population, Costs, and Diseases (pdf), DHCS Research and Analytical Studies Section;

    Comparison_of_State_Waivers (draft - do not cite) (pdf), Harbage Consulting LLC and Health Management Associates.

Medi-Cal Overview - The Health Consumer Alliance, National Health Law Program (August 2008, English)

Medicare - Part of the National Medicare Education Program - answers questions about Medicare. Or call 1-800-MEDICARE

Medicare Part D: California has extended, but also restricted, the state emergency drug program for Californians who are eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal and who are unable to get their medications through the federal Medicare prescription drug benefit. The state will be the payer of last resort, with strict controls; the program will end on January 31, 2007. Read the latest Medi-Cal emergency coverage bulletin (PDF).

Medscape - Technical information for doctors that non-doctors can access; also has a special section for lay people. Searchable, access to journals, news, links to more information on specialties and drugs.

Med-Solutions - Help for people who have no drug coverage and can't afford medications. Referrals to patient assistant programs. Site says that volunteers provide instant, accurate information, and applications for more than 100 programs offering brand name drugs. Fee ($10, $5, sometimes waived) covers costs of maintaining all-volunteer site.

Steve Gold's Treasured Nuggets of Information - tools to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act in the areas of Housing, Medical Assistance/Medicaid, Nursing Homes, Education, Miscellaneous ADA Information.

Temporary Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP): in California, this program will be administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB). These are the same folks who administer the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP), which currently provides insurance for people who can't get it elsewhere. The new plan will provide insurance to people who have not been able to get it for at least 6 months. Premiums will vary, but will be about $575 for a 50 year old subscriber in San Francisco. The annual deductible will be $1,500, and the annual out-of-pocket limit will be $2,500. You can get more information here: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/provisions/pcip/index.html, and here: http://mrmib.ca.gov/. (Added 7/1/10)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - improving the health, safety, and well-being of America.

Visitation Rights: (pdf) - California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform publication addressing the right to visit people in long-term care facilities and hospitals.

Current federally approved Section 1915(c) Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver for regional center clients who would qualify for ICF/DD services (pdf), October 2006 through September 2011, 228 pages, English, State of California, Department of Health Care Services. This waiver is administered by the Department of Developmental Services and regional centers. The waiver does two important things: (1) Enable children to qualify for Medi-Cal by not counting prental income and/or resources ("institutional deeming") and (2) Fund through Medi-Cal many of the services that support children and adults in their homes and communities.

New Medi-Cal Program for Aged and Disabled Persons (pdf) (April 2009, 2 pages, English, #5253.01; prepared by Protection & Advocacy, Inc., and Western Center on Law & Poverty)