Blue Shield Foundation Awards $1.7M To Help Boost Health Coverage
On Wednesday, the Blue Shield of California Foundation announced that it will grant a total of $1.7 million to help 10 counties develop plans to expand health care coverage to low-income residents before provisions of the federal health reform law take effect in 2014, the Stockton Record reports (Stockton Record, 12/8).
Grants Aim To Help Draw Down Federal Funds
According to the foundation, the grants will help counties qualify for additional federal funding under a new expansion of Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.
The Medi-Cal expansion resulted from the recent approval of California's Section 1115 Medicaid waiver, which will provide the state with up to $10 billion in federal funds to improve care and expand health coverage for low-income residents over the next five years.
The waiver will allow counties to receive federal matching funds for existing indigent care program spending. Therefore, the new Blue Shield of California Foundation grants could help counties draw down additional federal funds.
Grant Recipients
The 10 counties receiving grants are:
- Contra Costa;
- Kern;
- Los Angeles;
- Monterey;
- Orange;
- San Bernardino;
- San Diego;
- San Joaquin;
- San Mateo; and
- Stanislaus.
In the fall, the foundation awarded similar planning grants to 12 other counties (Blue Shield of California Foundation release, 12/8).
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