SACRAMENTO, Calif.--()--The County Medical Services Program (CMSP) Governing Board announced today that the Board will expand health care coverage to an additional 30,000 low income adults living in 34 mostly rural counties beginning January 1, 2012 under Path2Health – a new Low Income Health Program. This coverage expansion will increase the number of low income adults served by Governing Board programs to nearly 90,000 by the end of 2013. The coverage expansion is made possible by the State of California’s Federal Medicaid “Bridge to Reform” Waiver. The Governing Board was just notified that Path2Health was approved by the federal government.
“Path2Health will provide many low income adults in these counties with needed health coverage. Others will benefit in 2014 when the federal Medicaid program is expanded by federal reform.”
“The federal waiver makes it possible to bring the benefits of federal health reform early to many of California’s rural communities,” said Lee Kemper, Executive Director of the CMSP Governing Board.
Path2Health will provide no-cost health coverage to adult Californians who reside in the 34 counties and are at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $10,890 annually for a single person. Implementation in the 34 mostly rural counties follows implementation that occurred in ten mostly urban California counties this past summer.
“Path2Health’s 34 counties represent regions with some of the highest levels of poverty and uninsurance in the state,” Kemper said. “Path2Health will provide many low income adults in these counties with needed health coverage. Others will benefit in 2014 when the federal Medicaid program is expanded by federal reform.”
Path2Health will provide coverage for medically necessary health care services, including primary care, emergency and hospital care, pharmacy services, and limited dental and vision care. It will also cover a set number of mental health and substance abuse counseling visits. Coverage will generally follow coverage provided under CMSP, a long-standing health coverage program serving indigent adults in the 34 counties. CMSP currently serves more than 60,000 low income adults each month.
Californians qualify for Path2Health if they are: a resident of one of the 34 counties Path2Health serves, have an income of up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level, are between 19 and 64 years of age, do not qualify for Medi-Cal, and meet federal citizenship and documentation requirements. More information about Path2Health is available at http://mypath2health.org.
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