Medi-Cal Questions for Californians

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

If you or people you know live in California, you may be able to help

us. We need people with disabilities who are on Medi-Cal

(California's Medicaid) and another type of private health insurance

to fill out the short questionnaire below sometime over the next few

days We're trying to show how much money the state saves when people

with disabilities who are on Medi-Cal also have private health

insurance employer. Ultimately, we want the state to let people with

disabilities keep their Medi-Cal even when we get jobs. This is

important because insurance from employers doesn't pay for attendant

care and they usually have a cap on durable medical equipment. Also,

many of us couldn't afford copayments without Medi-Cal

It would be great if you or people you know would do this. Let me

know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Alana

Subject: We Need Information from People with Disabilities on Medi-

Cal & Private Health Insurance

From: CALIFORNIA WORK GROUP On Work Incentives and Health Care the

CWG and

GAPS Task Force on Medi-Cal's 250% Working Disabled Program

PLEASE SEND TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AND NETWORKS

Dear CWG/GAPS Participants & AB 851Supporters,

We need your help gathering information from Californians with

disabilities who are on Medi-Cal AND any other type of private health

insurance. As you probably know, the GAPS Task Force on the Medi-Cal

Working Disabled Program is a statewide grassroots group of people

with disabilities, advocates, social workers, rehabilitation

counselors, etc. We are working to pass AB 851, a bill that will

improve Medi-Cal rules so more people with disabilities can work

without losing their Medi-Cal and In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS).

We need letters from youth and adults with disabilities who use Medi-

Cal AND any other type of private health coverage. We are asking for

your help with gathering this information so we can show state

legislators that whenever a Medi-Cal beneficiary has access to

private health insurance, it saves the state thousands and even tens

of thousands of dollars each year for each person who only needs Medi-

Cal as their secondary health coverage.

We want to hear from people on ANY type of Medi-Cal program (i.e. the

Medi-Cal Working Disabled Program, Share-of-Cost Medi-Cal, SSI-Linked

Medi-Cal, 1619B program, etc.). This information can help pass AB

851 this year! Please contact us immediately.

We want to know the following about people on Medi-Cal:

- Your name and contact information.

- What health care services do you use? Some examples are

prescriptions, IHSS home care workers, nursing care, medical supplies

and equipment, oxygen, dialysis, diagnostic tests, surgeries,

ambulance transportation, etc.

- What other private health care plans are you enrolled in through

family plans, employer health coverage, etc.?

- How long have you had access to other health plans along with

using Medi-Cal services?

- Do you know how much money your private insurance spent on your

health care in 2007 or even 2006? You may be able to find this

information in your Explanation of Benefits. Some insurance

companies send these to you.

- Can we use name with your information when we are explaining the

importance of keeping Medi-Cal when people with disabilities? It's

fine if you would rather your identity be confidential, but it will

be more compelling if some people are willing to let us use their

names.

We need your help in order to support the passage of AB 851. Please

send your brief answers to the above questions to Eli Gelardin by

email: mcileli @ gmail.com

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Alana Theriault & Eli Gelardin, Co-Chairs

GAPS Task Force

Eli Gelardin, Executive Director

Marin Center for Independent Living

415-459-6245

E-mail: mcileli @ gmail.com

Alana Theriault, Owner

Express Independence

510-388-2277

E-mail: expind @ comcast.net