California Plans To Fast-Track Food Stamp Recipients to Health Care

The state says people on the CalFresh program have the same income as people who qualify for expanded Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act next year.

Rene Mollow of the California Department of Health Care Services says it will offer food stamp recipients a way to sign up for free health care without filling out another application.

“They would get a letter, the letter would simply state to them, that based upon their eligibility for CalFresh, that if they were interested in Medi-Cal, and didn’t already have coverage, they could simply check the box,” says Mollow.  

Another 600,000 Californians in Low Income Health Programs will be automatically enrolled in Medi-Cal under the federal health law. 

All recipients of the program will have full health care benefits, including vision services, substance abuse treatment and mental health care.

The California Department of Health Care Services expects the federal government to give a green light to the streamlined enrollment process sometime in the coming days.