Sponsored by the County Medical Services Program (CMSP), Path2Health provides free medical, dental and vision services for low-income, uninsured adults in 34 primarily rural California counties, including Humboldt.
CMSP currently serves more than 60,000 people statewide each month. The coverage expansion will increase the number served to nearly 90,000 by the end of 2013.
On average, about 2,800 residents in Humboldt County were enrolled in CMSP each month in 2010-2011. The new program will help even more people access health care services.
Path2Health was made possible by the state of California’s federal Medicaid “Bridge to Reform” waiver, designed to bring the benefits of federal health reform early to California’s rural communities, said Lee Kemper, executive director of the CMSP governing board, which runs Path2Health.
”This program is an essential first step in health care reform and toward optimal health and well-being in our community,” said Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Branch Director Susan Buckley. “Path2Health is especially important in these hard economic times when so many people are unemployed and without health insurance coverage.”
To qualify for Path2Health, individuals must:
Be between 19 and 64 years of age.
Have an income that is at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level (around $10,890 annually for a single person).
Not qualify for Medi-Cal.
Meet federal citizenship and documentation requirements.
Reside in one of the 34 counties Path2Health serves.
People can apply for Path2Health in one of three ways: online at www.benefitscal.org; by printing an application at www.mypath2health.org and mailing the completed form to the Social Services Branch, 929 Koster St. Eureka, CA 95501; or by stopping by the Social Services Branch main office at the same address. Social Services also has outstation offices in Garberville at 727 Cedar St. and in Hoopa at 1200 Airport Road. Applications can also be requested by phone at (707) 268-3471.
”If you are uninsured and low-income, you should apply for Path2Health,” said DHHS Social Services Branch Director Kathy Young. “It covers a wide variety of services.” A full list of what is covered can be found on the Path2Health website, www.mypath2health.org.
County and federal funds will pay for the Path2Health program. County funds come from a portion of state sales taxes and a portion of vehicle licensing fees. Federal funds are provided by the Medicaid program.
Program participants will use a network of local doctors, hospitals and clinics that accept CMSP’s partner insurance provider, Anthem Blue Cross. All Californians enrolled in Path2Health will be automatically signed up for Medi-Cal on Jan. 1, 2014, when the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion kicks in.
For more information about Path2Health, call the Social Services Branch at (707) 268-3471. Local medical, dental, vision and substance abuse treatment providers interested in offering Path2Health services can find more information at mypath2health.org/providers.
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