Blue Cross of California Receives $4M in Grants to Improve Access to Care for Healthy Families Members

Blue Cross of California yesterday announced that it has received more than $4 million in grants from the state Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board to improve health care access for children in underserved and rural communities. MRMIB administers Healthy Families, California's CHIP program. Blue Cross will receive $2,095,761 in 2002 and $1,949,964 in 2003, with the majority of the funds earmarked for Blue Cross' participating network clinics that serve Healthy Families enrollees. The clinics will use the funds to extend office hours, hire additional provider staff and expand the number of services offered to migrant workers and rural residents. About $300,000 of the money will be used by clinics in the state's Rural Health Department Programs to provide care, such as well-child visits and prescription drugs. In addition, some of the grant money will be used to provide telemedicine support for more than 30 sites (Blue Cross of California release, 7/18).