Two Fresno County Schools Begin Pilot Program Linking Applications for Medi-Cal, Free Lunches
Two Fresno elementary schools and Fresno County have begun a two-year pilot program in which they share information to determine if students receiving free school lunches also qualify for Medi-Cal, the Fresno Bee reports. Under the program, parents who apply for free lunches can agree to allow the schools to share information with the county to determine if their children are eligible for Medi-Cal. If the parent agrees to share the information, the student automatically is enrolled in Medi-Cal for one month while the county determines the child's eligibility. The California Endowment is funding the program with a $250,000 grant, and the county and schools are providing the staff to manage it. The program, which started at the beginning of the school year, is intended to help all low-income families without health insurance, Steve Rodriguez, a Fresno County welfare department deputy director, said. Rodriguez added that as many as 400 students could be enrolled in Medi-Cal through the program. The programs at the two schools could be used as a model for Medi-Cal expansion if state funding is available, the Bee reports (Davis, Fresno Bee, 10/5).
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