Los Angeles County and Asian Pacific Health Care Venture preparing you for Health Care Reform
What PPP and HWLA patient need to know
August 1, 2011
For over a year now we have heard the debate over Health Care Reform and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010. Many of us still don’t understand Health Care Reform, in particular, because we haven’t felt its effects and it still seems like a long way until 2014 when it will be fully implemented. In Los Angeles County, however, we are gearing up for Health Care Reform to ensure that the community is prepared and able to easily enroll into public health programs, like Medi-Cal, once they become eligible.
For over a decade, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV) has participated in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Healthy Way Los Angeles (HWLA) Programs with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS). Through the PPP and HWLA Programs, LADHS has been able to extend health care services to the neediest populations within our community by partnering with community clinics like APHCV to provide free health care for LA County residents. On July 1, 2011, in preparation for Health Care Reform, LADHS ended the PPP Program and incorporated it into the HWLA providing a more comprehensive and streamlined program to ensure that those truly in need of health care services are able to access that care.
What does this mean for the thousands of LA County residents? It means that people will now have better access to health care and the ability to establish a medical home where their family can receive comprehensive health care. To help ensure access to care and easy enrollment into the new HWLA Program, here are some documents current PPP and HWLA recipients should bring to their next appointment and any new clients interested in enrolling into the new HWLA Program:
- Proof of Income such as a pay stub, tax return, signed statement from employer, current business records (if self-employed), unemployment benefits records or a self-declared affidavit
- Proof of LA County Residency such as driver’s license or utility bill with valid LA County zip code
- Proof of Citizenship or Residency such as a social security card, passport, green card, visa, refugee or asylee status.
It is important to know that APHCV and LA County will not report your immigration or residency status to immigration services, but will be used to help you enroll into the HWLA Program. During the screening process, anyone who may be qualified for Medi-Cal will be referred to an APHCV Enrollment Worker where you will receive free assistance with completing and submitting your Medi-Cal enrollment forms.
LA County is requiring all community clinics, including APHCV, to collect the above documents in order to help you get affordable health care, so make sure you bring them to your next APHCV appointment or if you are visiting another community clinic. If you don’t bring these required documents to you next visit, you may be charged for your visit, so it is important to come prepared and call ahead if you have any questions. You may qualify for the HWLA Program if you are undocumented, however there is limited availability so be sure to call ahead and find out if you qualify. Due to limited funding, APHCV is only enrolling undocumented individuals currently enrolled in the PPP Program. Unfortunately, those who are here as a tourist, on a work or student visa or is in a status adjustment period will not qualify for the HWLA Program, however APHCV offers a number of affordable options through its sliding scale program. APHCV is here to make sure you have access to quality health care, so call today to make an appointment and find if you are qualified for the HWLA Program.
If you have any questions about the new HWLA Program and what to bring to your next appointment, please call APHCV at (323) 644-3888.
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (www.aphcv.org) is a nonprofit federally-qualified health center that provides culturally competent health education and primary care services to over 12,000 patients annually, more than 77% of whom are uninsured. APHCV provides over 46,400 medical and mental health visits each year in multiple Asian languages (Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Indonesian, Mandarin, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese), English and Spanish. APHCV operates three community health center sites: the Los Feliz Health Center, Belmont Health Services and John Marshall High School Health Center (for JMHS students). APHCV can be reached at (323) 644-3880. Medical appointments can be made by calling (323) 644-3888.
