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Applying and receiving financial assistance for health insurance coverage through Covered California or Medi-Cal will NOT count as a “public charge”
- Will NOT affect the consumer’s immigration status or their chances of becoming a lawful permanent resident or naturalized citizen
- EXCEPTION: Receiving long-term care, such as nursing home, under Medi-Cal paid for by the government
Health Access
The Health Access Program (HAP) at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) seeks to address the health needs of the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities through outreach, education, and advocacy. Our services are open to individuals of all races and ethnicities, without restriction. We strive to ensure that all Californians, especially the low-income and those in need, have equal access to various public health benefits and resources.
HAP’s work is informed through our coalition engagements and statewide community partnerships. Together with our coalition partners, HAP works to advance a proactive agenda to conduct outreach and education in multiple languages, increase access to health coverage, and reduce health disparities in our communities.
We advocate for the right to right to affordable, accessible, and quality health care, while growing community partnerships and leadership and empowering individuals and grassroot organizations to engage in policy advocacy.
The Health Access Program accomplishes its goals through:
Coalition and Capacity Building:
- Support, expand and strengthen over 120 partnerships statewide to share information and resources about health care reform.
- Support and uplift 15+ partner organizations across California to conduct health insurance outreach, education, enrollment and navigation assistance.
Outreach, Education, and Enrollment:
- Increasing community knowledge and understanding of health reform changes on the federal, state, and local levels.
- Educating AAPI and communities of color about California’s health programs, including Covered California, expanded Medi-Cal, and county-based safety net programs through reducing language access barriers and increasing health literacy.
- Maximizing AAPI enrollment, retention, and utilization of the state’s health care programs.
- Empower community members to be their own health advocates.
Policy Advocacy:
- Conducting public policy advocacy on health care issues, including health care reform implementation in California under the ACA through coalition work and community storytelling.
- Increasing access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services by the AAPI community
While I was looking for an attorney to file my VAWA case, I mentioned my medical dependency on my husband and was promptly referred to their Medi-Cal expert and one of the nicest people you will ever meet, Zenny. Zenny filled out all the forms required, spoke on my behalf, and went beyond anything I could have expected. Zenny did more than fill out forms; she listened patiently to my needs, gave me moral support and assured me that I was not alone... If you are in the same situation I was in or find yourself in need of control over your Medi-Cal care, call AJSOCAL. They care!
JP
I was in a community called Missy USA and saw that undocumented people could get Medi-Cal, so I called AJSOCAL...They were very quick to help, and I was impressed with the accuracy of their work. We received our daughters Medi-Cal card about a month and a half after our initial call. I will definitely recommend them to others if they need similar help.
Ms. Kim
Some amazing people at another community-based organization directed me to AJSOCAL. It was amazing working with the Health Access Program ... I can't even begin to tell you, as words are inadequate. With the circumstances I have been living with, having someone stand up for me and stand with me brought tears to my eyes and still does. I have Medi-Cal now. I am so grateful. I would suggest anyone needing help to contact AJSOCAL services.
Bethany
The help I have received has exceeded my expectations and I am very grateful! Special thanks to Zenny, who has handled Medi-Cal for me and my daughter as quickly as possible, helping to ease our financial difficulties. [I would recommend AJSOCAL services to others] because they provided me with real, effective help.
H
I recommend AJSOCAL to my friends and the people around me, because their help is very useful for our communities.
VM
I must express my profound gratitude and appreciation for [AJSOCAL’s] assistance; I felt as though I had been at the bottom of an abyss, and they provided me with a lifeline to safety. All [the staff who assisted me] were incredibly caring, dedicated, thoughtful, and professional, making me feel secure and not abandoned. They instilled in me hope for a brighter future and the possibility of rebuilding my life.
Ms. Tran
After the [Health Access Program’s] intervention, they were able to facilitate a response in not even a month's time from Medi-Cal, despite us having waited over 6 months after submitting so much paperwork, without any updates or acknowledgement from DPSS or Medi-Cal that we had even submitted the necessary forms. Absolutely highest of recommendations for AJSOCAL, especially those of the API community who need health coverage assistance
Mrs. G’s Daughter
I don't speak English very well, so I was very scared when I first applied for Medi-Cal, but the staff at AJSOCAL were so kind...I hadn’t gone to the hospital to get a checkup in 8 years...Thankfully, I had the great opportunity to get Medi-Cal, and I can now go to the hospital without worrying. I would highly recommend AJSOCAL's services because they do their best to empathize and help people who are in difficult situations.
Mr. C
Confused about health insurance?
Need one on one help? Call us on our helplines.
Reproductive Care Community Guide
This guide from Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL)’s Health Access Program (HAP) provides resources and a community social media toolkit about reproductive care.
