::HCA: Publications::

:: Home / Publications

	consumer brochures
	advocates' issue briefs
	manuals
	reports
	video
	testimony
	news releases


	HCA Publications Click the type of publication at the left to jump down the page to the list of materials.
	Brochures for Consumers
	·	Advisory on Medi-Cal for Newborns
	·	Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program
	·	Changes in Dental Care for Adults on Medi-Cal
	·	Do Not Lose Your Medi-Cal!
	·	Get free health services for your child from the Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Gateway program
	·	Getting Family Planning with Family PACT
	·	Getting the Health Care You Need From Your Managed Care Plan
	·	Getting Medi-Cal for Your Child Quickly
	·	Getting Prescription Medicine from Medi-Cal
	·	Healthy Families: Help for your child
	·	Medi-Cal Dental Services for Children and Youth
	·	Medicare Part D Basics (#1)
	·	Medicare Part D with a Medi-Cal Share of Cost (#2)
	·	Medicare Part D: Get “Extra Help” (#3)
	·	Medicare Part D: Exceptions & Appeals (#4)
	·	Medicare Part D: Changing Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (#5)
	·	Medicare Part D: Keep Getting “Extra Help” (#6)
	·	Medicare Part D: Special Needs Plans (#7)
	·	Medicare Part D: Beware of People Trying to Sell You Health Insurance (#8)
	·	Medicare Part D: Changes for People with Medicare and Medi-Cal with a Monthly Share of Cost over $500 (#9)
	·	Meeting Your Share of Cost for Medi-Cal
	·	New Medi-Cal Law and Immigrants
	·	New Medi-Cal Proof of Citizenship Requirements
	·	Not Getting Welfare? You Can Still Get Free Medi-Cal
	·	Open Enrollment for Medicare Part D Prescription Coverage
	·	Protect Your Child from Lead Poisoning
	·	What if Medi-Cal Says "No"?
	·	What to Do if You Have a Problem with Your Health Plan
	·	What to Do if You Have a Problem with Your Medi-Cal Health Plan
	·	Working People Can Get Help With Health Care
	Getting the Best Out of Managed Care
	·	How can this information help me? ¿Cómo puede ayudarme esta información?
	·	Understanding Quality Measures Comprenda las Medidas de Evaluación de la Calidad
	·	Figuring Out Which Health Care Plan Meets Your Needs Determine qué Plan de Atención de Salud Responde a sus Necesidades
	·	Report Cards Boletas de Calificaciones
	·	Consumer Surveys Encuestas de Consumidores
	Immigrants and Health Care
	·	Will it hurt my sponsor if I get health care?
	·	Should I worry about public charge?
	·	Undocumented Immigrants can get health care
	·	Many legal immigrants can get regular Medi-Cal or Healthy Families
	What Can I Do If I Get a Medical Bill?
	·	What are my rights if I have Medi-Cal?
	·	Sample letter to a Medi-Cal provider.
	·	What are my rights if my child has Healthy Families?
	·	If you have no health insurance, ask these questions.
	·	What can I do if I get a hospital bill?
	·	Tips for fighting a bill.
	·	Tips for avoiding bills.

	Issue Briefs for Advocates and Consumers
	Children's Health
	·	Caretaker Relatives and Medi-Cal Eligibility
	·	Health Rights of Children in Foster Care and Other Children Living Away from Home
	·	Healthy Families Appeal Process Flow Chart
	·	Healthy Families Application Approval Process Flow Chart
	·	Healthy Families Program Enhancements
	·	Medi-Cal & Healthy Families Income Levels (effective 5/1/09) UPDATED
	·	Medi-Cal for Children Turning Age 18 while in Foster Care
	County Medical Services Program
	·	County Medical Services Program
	Healthy Families
	·	Healthy Families Appeal Process Flow Chart
	·	Healthy Families Application Approval Process Flow Chart
	·	Medi-Cal & Healthy Families Income Levels (effective 5/1/09)
	HIV & AIDS
	·	HIV Testing of Pregnant Women
	·	Special Health Resources for Individuals with HIV/AIDS
	Immigrants and Health Care
	·	Fresno English Spanish
	·	Los Angeles English Spanish
	·	Orange English Spanish
	·	Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer and Yolo English Spanish
	·	San Diego English Spanish
	·	San Francisco and Alameda English Spanish
	·	San Mateo English Spanish
	·	Other California counties English Spanish
	Informed Consent
	·	Informed Consent and Sterilization
	Language Access
	·	Federally Mandated Language Access for Limited English Proficient Persons
	Major Risk Medical Insurance Program
	·	Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP)
	Managed Care
	·	Knox-Keene Protections Quick Reference: Health & Safety Code
	·	Special Health Resources for Individuals with HIV/AIDS
	Medi-Cal
	·	250% Working Disabled Medi-Cal Program
	·	ABD-Medically Needy Medi-Cal for Persons who are Aged, Blind, or have Disabilities with ABD-MN Worksheet
	·	AFDC-MN Medi-Cal for Children, Parents and Caregiver Relatives
	·	Accessing Dental Care Through the Denti-Cal Program
	·	Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program
	·	Caretaker Relatives and Medi-Cal Eligibility
	·	Chronic Disease Management in the Medi-Cal Program
	·	Citizenship Verification and Identity Requirements for Medi-Cal
	·	EPSDT Quick Reference
	·	Four-Month Continuing Medi-Cal for Families Receiving Child or Spousal Support
	·	Inter-County Transfer
	·	Medicaid Transportation Services
	·	Medi-Cal for CalWORKS Advocates
	·	Medi-Cal & Healthy Families Income Levels (effective 5/1/09) UPDATED
	·	Medi-Cal for Children Turning Age 18 while in Foster Care
	·	Medi-Cal Eligibility Flowcharts
	·	Medi-Cal Program for Aged and Disabled Persons UPDATED
	·	Medi-Cal State Residency Requirements
	·	Percent of Poverty Medi-Cal for Pregnant Women & Children
	·	The Pickle Program
	·	Prevent Medi-Cal Terminations: Watch for the New Mid-Year Status Report (MSR's)
	·	Section 1931(b) Medi-Cal For Children, Parents & Caretaker Relatives
	·	Sneede/Gamma and Section (§) 1931(b)
	·	Sneede/Gamma Prorated Income Limits
	·	Transitional Medi-Cal for Families with Increased Earnings
	·	Transportation Under Medi-Cal and EPSDT
	Medical Billing
	·	New Limitations on Hospital Billing & Collections with sample letters to hospitals, collection agencies, and to DHS to help consumers get financial assistance.
	·	Reading & Negotiating A Client's Medical Bills
	Medical Records
	·	Obtaining Medical Records on Behalf of a Client
	Manuals
	·	Overview of the Medi-Cal Program. July 2008. (Please print the Table of Contents to see the subjects covered and organization of each chapter.) Please call the NHeLP Los Angeles office at 310-204-6010 to order a printed version of the manual for $30. Overview of the Medi-Cal Program Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to the Medi-Cal Program Chapter 2: Eligibility Chapter 3: Income under the Medi-Cal Program Chapter 4: Resources Chapter 5: Setting up Medi-Cal Family Budget Units, Spending Down and Share of Cost Chapter 6: Applying for Medi-Cal Benefits and Retroactive Benefits Chapter 7: About the Different Medi-Cal Programs Chapter 8: Waivers and Home- and Community-Based Care Chapter 9: Medi-Cal, Social Security Title II Benefits & Medicare Chapter 10: Medi-Cal and Other Health Coverage Chapter 11: Medi-Cal Services Chapter 12: Medi-Cal Services for Children Chapter 13: Women's Health Services Chapter 14: Medi-Cal Services for Immigrants, Including Non-Citizen and Undocumented Immigrants Chapter 15: Linguistically Appropriate and Culturally Competent Services Chapter 16: Denti-Cal for Children and Adults Chapter 17: Other Related (non Medi-Cal) Programs Chapter 18: Beneficiary Financial Liability and Protections from Medical Debt Chapter 19: Notice, Appeals and Fair Hearings Chapter 20: Medi-Cal Managed Care Chapter 21: Medi-Cal and Long Term Care Appendix A: Medi-Cal Glossary of Terms Appendix B: A Basic Medi-Cal Library
	·	SB87 Guide: Changes in the Medi-Cal Eligibility Determination Process. January 2002.
	·	Strategies to Address Health Care Debt of those With Low . November 1999.

	Reports
		June 15, 2009 The Governor's Proposed Medi-Cal Cuts: An Unhealthy Response to California's Budget Problems The proposed budget cuts would eliminate essential services for cancer treatment, adult day health care, and mental health services that Californians with stories like the ones reported here, need to continue working and living. [Full report]
		October 30, 2008 "Stregthening Health Access Through Collaboration" - The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2006 and 2007. [Full report]
		April 4, 2007 Medi-Cal Lost: How Overly Complex Rules End Health Coverage for Low-Income Consumers The Health Consumer Alliance's new report finds low-income Californians losing Medi-Cal coverage unnecessarily. [Full report][Press Release]
		March 8, 2007 Priced Out: Share of Cost Makes Medi-Cal Unaffordable The Health Consumer Alliance shares common consumer problems accessing health care when they have Medi-Cal with a Share of Cost and recommends an increase in the Maintenance Need Level and other reforms. [Full report]
		January 30, 2007 The Governor's Health Care Proposal: A Low-Income Perspective Health Consumer Alliance addresses specifics of the Governor’s proposal as it applies to low-income Californians and HCA standards for universal coverage. [Full report]
		January 30, 2007 Universal Coverage: Standards to Ensure Low-Income Californians Access to Affordable Quality Care Health Consumer Alliance outlines its standards for eligibility, affordability, scope of benefits, financing, procedural protections, access, quality of care, and choice and portability. [Full report]
		December 2006 Barriers to Care: Hmong Experiences with the Sacramento Health Care System The Health Rights Hotline (HCA's Sacramento area partner) reports on its advocacy services to help ensure access to health care services for newly arriving Hmong refugees and their sponsoring families, and their experiences with the health care system. [Full report]
		December 2006 Medicare Part D Findings: Continued Hardships for Low-income Californians Health Consumer Alliance findings of Medicare Part D problems reported to HCA between April 15, 2006 and September 30, 2006. [Full report]
		November 9, 2006 A Tear in the Safety Net: Hospitals Fail to Ensure Financial Assistance for Low-Income Californians This report reveals that, despite hospital industry efforts to regulate itself, many hospitals still do not have financial assistance polices to aid low-income uninsured or underinsured patients. Those that do have policies often do not make them uniformly available. [Full report][Press release]
		August 2006 "Defending Access to Health Care" - The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2005. [Full report]
		April 2006 Medicare Part D Findings Health Consumer Alliance findings of Medicare Part D problems reported to HCA between March 1, 2006 and April 14, 2006. [Full report]
		April 2006 Prior Authorization: Impedes Access to Health Care Low-income Medi-Cal beneficiaries often face a variety of barriers in obtaining medically necessary care. Among those barriers is prior authorization which requires that the consumer navigate through complex obstacles to receive medically necessary and often life saving medications. While prior authorization can play a positive role in containing costs, for many consumers prior authorization leads to denials of care and, even for those who are able to navigate the process, to potentially dangerous delays in treatment. [Full report]
		March 15, 2006 Medicare Prescription Co-payments: An Unaffordable Option In this publication the Health Consumer Alliance provides thought provoking first hand accounts and realistic scenorios detailing how Medicare Part D co-pay requirements are adversely affecting dual eligible Californians. [Full report]
		August 2005 "Opening Doors to Health Care" - The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2004. [Full report]
		August 2004 "An Innovative Partnership" - The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2002 - 2003. [Full report]
		September 20, 2004 Sick and In Debt: Improper Practices that Cause Medical Debt for Low-Income Californians This report reveals many improper, and sometimes illegal, practices by state administrators and providers that cause medical debt to fall on low-income consumers. Consumers who have health coverage and uninsured consumers alike face barriers to health care caused by medical debt. [Full report][Press release]
		February 19, 2003 Evaluation of the Health Consumer Alliance and Health Rights Hotline USC Division of Community Health finds HCA centers have helped more than 46,000 California consumers with their problems with enrollment, retention and access to medical services, particularly through Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. The study also found that HCA centers have been effective advocates for local and statewide improvements to California's public health systems. [Full report][Executive Summary][Press Release]
		January 16, 2003 Denti-Cal Denied: Consumers' Experiences Accessing Dental Services in California's Medi-Cal Program. Even though these consumers have health coverage through Medi-Cal, they still face formidable barriers to dental care and have serious unmet dental needs. [Full report][Press release]
		November 16, 2001 "Navigate, Educate, Advocate" - The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2000-2001. [Full report][Press release]
		June 8, 2000 HMO Marketing to Children: Important Questions, Risky Answers Up to 4.4 Million California Children Potential Targets for HMO Marketing and Enrollment Under Proposed Budget and Other Bills [Full Report][Summary] [Sign-on letter to Gov. Davis]
		October 12 , 1999 In the Cellar and Dropping Fast: California's Health Insurance Crisis Californians Lost Health Insurance at the Rate of 1,200 a Day Over Last Three Years
		April 26, 1999 Red Tape Epidemic: Health Coverage for Working Families at Risk State Red Tape Threatens Health Coverage for Working Families State Health Forms Much Worse Than Federal Income Tax Forms

	Public Education Video
	"Sigue y Consigues con la Familia Valdez: El Cuidado de Salud es Seguro" ("Seek and Ye Shall Find: Health Care is Safe"), a Spanish-language video in the style of a telenovela - the popular Spanish-language, prime-time "soap opera" - bolsters efforts of community organizations to break down unfounded fear of immigration problems that discourage many from seeking desperately needed health care or other services.

	Testimony
	January 23, 2001 HCA Testimony on the Healthy Families Waiver

	News Releases
	April 4, 2007 Loss of Medi-Cal Coverage Linked to Overly Complex Rules. HCA releases Medi-Cal Lost: How Overly Complex Rules End Health Coverage for Low-Income Consumers report.[Press release] [Full Report]
	November 11, 2006 Hospitals Play Hide and Seek with Financial Assistance Programs. HCA releases A Tear in the Safety Net: Hospitals Fail to Ensure Financial Assistance for Low-Income Californians report.[Press release] [Full Report]
	October 29, 2004 HCA expands to provide low-income Imperial county residents with assistance in accessing health care. [Press release] [Health Consumer Center of Imperial Valley information]
	September 20, 2004 HCA releases Sick and In Debt: Improper Practices that Cause Medical Debt for Low-Income Californians, revealing many improper, and sometimes illegal, practices by state administrators and providers that cause medical debt to fall on low-income consumers. Consumers who have health coverage and uninsured consumers alike face barriers to health care caused by medical debt. [Full report][Press Release]
	May 25, 2004 HCA expands to provide low-income Kern county residents with assistance in accessing health care. [Press release] [Kern Health Consumer Center information]
	February 19, 2003 Health Consumer Alliance helps thousands of uninsured Californians access and retain health coverage. Program receives $7 million in funding following demonstrated success. [Full report][Executive Summary][Press Release]
	January 16, 2003 HCA releases Denti-Cal Denied: Consumers' Experiences Accessing Dental Services in California's Medi-Cal Program, revealing consumers' difficulty accessing dental services in California's Medi-Cal program. [Full Report] [Press Release].
	June 29, 2000 The California Endowment awards HCA and the Health Rights Hotline $8.5 Million to help California consumers obtain health care and get care from HMOs. [Press Release] [Photos of press conference]
	January 9, 2003 New video, "Sigue y Consigues con la Familia Valdez: El Cuidado de Salud es Seguro" ("Seek and Ye Shall Find: Health Care is Safe"), seeks to allay Latino immigration fears discouraging access to health care, vital services. [English][Spanish]
	November 16, 2001 The Health Consumer Alliance releases its Annual Report covering 2000-2001. [Full Report]
	June 8, 2000 Up to 4.4 Million California Children Potential Targets for HMO Marketing and Enrollment Under Proposed Budget and Other Bills, Report Finds. [English] [Spanish] [Sign-on letter to Gov. Davis]
	October 12, 1999 Californians Lost Health Insurance at the Rate of 1,200 a Day Over Last Three Years, Report Finds. [Full Report][Press Release]
	April 26, 1999 State Red Tape Threatens Health Coverage for Working Families State Health Forms Much Worse Than Federal Income Tax Forms, Report Finds. [Full Report] [Press Release]
	October 15, 1998 San Francisco Mayor Brown Endorses Health Consumer Program. Program Begins for Managed Care Patients, Uninsured Consumers. [Press Release]

HCA Publications