As of May 1, 2014, limited dental services will be included for adults, 21 years and older, that are on Medi-Cal. Adult dental Medi-Cal services were removed during the California budget crisis in 2009. Some counties may require adults to enroll in a dental manage care plan while others will offer a Fee-For-Service program. The Denti-Cal adult services will be the same whether they are obtained through a plan or through a Denti-Cal participating dentist or clinic. The challenge for adults in rural counties will be finding a dentist that accepts Denti-Cal.
Archives for April 2014
Covered California sponsors group that opposed the ACA
Covered California has been listed as a Gold sponsor of the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU). In late 2009 CAHU was very vocal that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act should not be passed by congress. A CAHU Gold sponsorship costs approximately $10,000 according to their website. It would be interesting to know what Covered California believes it is getting for the sponsorship?
Peripheral canal starts pumping water around the Delta
In its very essence, the Freeport Regional Water Project is a peripheral water conveyance system designed to have Bureau of Reclamation water purchased by EBMUD not pass through the Delta. Even though this water is being used to service East Bay communities, there is no reason that some simple modifications to the EBMUD aqueducts would allow the water to be sent south to Southern California. Perhaps the Metropolitan Water District in Southern California should fund the construction of the necessary modifications to allow the discharge of water from the EBMUD aqueducts in the event of an emergency situation where Sacramento River water can’t be conveyed through the Delta.
Is it time for health agents to organize?
As the date for the ACA open enrollment approached, most health insurance agents were nervous about what to expect and what role they might play in helping clients enroll in the new health plans. This anxiety was enhanced by the cold shoulder given them by Covered California and the health insurance companies in terms of training and information. At the end of open enrollment, many agents felt as if they had been abandoned by the carriers and Covered California while trying to help their clients. This has left some agents wondering if now is the time to organize into a guild and work for better training, enrollment tools and fair compensation for the assistance they provide to their clients.
Acupuncture for all, my trip to the acupuncturist
All new ACA health plans include acupuncture as a covered health care service in California. So what is it like to receive acupuncture and can it potentially help relieve medical challenges that some of us face? I decided to try out this traditional Chinese medicine to see if it would alleviate the pain in my neck.
Covered California annual income estimate prevents Medi-Cal enrollment
Different interpretations of monthly verses annual income estimates on the part of Covered California and county Medi-Cal administrators have the potential to leave many Californians who are drawing unemployment benefits without any health insurance. At least one person has been denied the ability to purchase a private health plan with ACA tax credits while being simultaneously excluded enrollment in the ACA expanded Medi-Cal health plan. The conflicting interpretations can leave many people ineligible for either ACA tax credits or Medi-Cal.
Starbucks turns drought water into big cash flow
How much is water worth? For Starbucks, they are able to take $0.66 worth of Folsom Lake water and convert it into $11,668.80 dollars. The San Juan Water District, who treats and delivers drought depleted Folsom Lake water to residential and commercial customers, is asking homeowners to use less water and pay more for it while company’s like Starbucks generate handsome revenues from residential conservation. The current and proposed Stage 3 Water Warning rate structure continues to have residential customers pay more per unit than Starbucks and other commercial uses who use the water to create revenue and profits.
Wonderful diversity at UC Davis Picnic Day and Parade
For years the UC Davis Picnic Day parade name has belied the truth of the event. Far from a mid-western farm festival, the Picnic Day parade has consistently had the most diverse participants of any celebration I’ve attended. The parade is a spectrometer of the local area showing the variety of community and religious groups, liberal protests, conservative causes, campus groups and parade music from different bands. All of these folks from different races, cultures, religions and political philosophies walking together down the parade route. This is America. This why I keep coming back to Picnic Day. This renews my faith and hope for the future of humanity.
A visit to Blue Shield to fix the billing issues
To be honest, I was fully prepared to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the Blue Shield of California corporate offices in El Dorado Hills. Numerous phone calls and emails on behalf of a client who had made his monthly premiums like clockwork, only to have his health insurance cancel, resulted in hollow promises and no action by Blue Shield to resolve the billing and cancellation nightmare. My last hope to help restore the health insurance for my long distance truck driving client was to rattle the corporate cage of the carrier.
Is HackerCare real health insurance?
HackerCare is not health insurance. HackerCare is a membership based association that offers group insurance through a carrier named Starmark. If you want to purchase the Starmark group health insurance, you have to join HackerCare. No one should ever be forced to join a fee based membership organization in order to purchase health insurance.