Health

Signing Up for Medical Benefits

Published

11 years ago

May 10, 2015

By Manny Otiko/California Black Media

When LaRita Reed graduated from UCLA, she was excited about earning her degree and all the possibilities that lay ahead. But soon, she found herself facing a new challenge.

The mother of two young children, who had previously been covered under the college’s insurance program, was suddenly uninsured, unemployed and being phased out of her UCLA health care coverage.

Worried mostly about the welfare of her kids, she reached out to her local social services office. While applying for health coverage for her children there, Reed discovered she was eligible for Medi-Cal, a health insurance program for low-income families that she hadn’t heard about before.

With Medi-Cal, her health insurance problem was resolved. But for new applicants to the program, she says, the application process can be confusing.

In addition to doing the research to find out if she was eligible or not, waiting through the four-week approval period was a time of high anxiety.

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has taken a number of steps to ease the anxiety and uncertainty felt by many Californians like Reed who apply.

Medi-Cal is providing much more information online about the application process, benefits and who gets covered. It is also expanding its reach to cover more people.

A number of health advocacy organizations across the state, like the Root Community Health Center in Oakland, are also helping people to navigate the application process and determine if they are eligible or not.

Adam Weintraub, a spokesman for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), says the most common reason new applicants are rejected is because they make too much money.

Another reason is that applicants may not be able to prove their place of residency.

DHCS says Medi-Cal is now available to low-income families and individuals of all ages who are eligible. Also, the enactment of the federal Affordable Care Act – commonly called “Obamacare” – means more people qualify for Medi-Cal.

To be eligible for the program, families have to make a certain amount of money every year based on poverty levels set by the DCHS and informed by guidelines given by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Weintraub said that works out to be $32,913 or less in annual income for a family of four. For an individual that number is $16,105 and $21,708 for a family of two.

Having family members with disabilities can also be a factor that helps with Medi-Cal qualification, he added.

Reed says once she was approved, she received a California Medi-Cal card in the mail and she had to choose from three programs: LA Care, Blue Cross or Health Net.

“If you don’t choose, they choose for you,” Reed said. She also advises applicants to do their research before selecting a plan, so they can choose a program that best fits their needs.

Reed says Medi-Cal has been a huge benefit for her because she doesn’t have to pay a monthly premium. If you are employed, Medi-Cal fees are set on a sliding scale based on income.

Reed said another major benefit to Medi-Cal is not having to pay for prescription medications at participating pharmacies. People who are approved are often enrolled in the managed care program, Reed said.

A Medi-Cal Managed Health Care plan offers all the same benefits as a standard Medi-Cal plan. The main difference is that the enrollee in the managed care program is assigned a primary doctor who coordinates care for that patient within a network of doctors to ensure the patient stays healthy.

The plan is designed for patients who are aged, blind, disabled and receiving Social Security Income (SSI) or State Supplementary Payments (SSP) or other state-provided financial assistance.

According to Weintraub, there are some steps applicants can take to speed up the application process. He recommends:

Applicants have certain paperwork, such as their social security card and household income and tax information, ready when they are filing applications.

Applicants should also ensure they fill in the forms as accurately as possible and use the correct contact information. Weintraub added applicants should make sure the name used on the forms matches the name on the applicant’s social security card.

“The more information on the application, the less likely it is to be kicked out,” Weintraub said.

Reed says applying for Medi-Cal can be frustrating, but there are some ways to speed up the process. If applicants run into roadblocks, they can request a hearing, which usually speeds things up.

For more information about Medi-Cal, go to: www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/MediBen_Svcs.aspx

For information about county social services offices, go to: www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/CountyOffices.aspx

This article was provided by California Black Media, a coalition of Black -owned media outlets.

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COMMENTARY: The Biases We Don’t See — Preventing AI-Driven Inequality in Health Care

For decades, medicine promoted false assumptions about Black bodies. Black patients were told they had lower lung capacity, and medical devices adjusted their results accordingly. That practice was not broadly reversed until 2021. Up until 2022, a common medical formula used to measure how well a person’s kidneys were working automatically gave Black patients a higher score simply because they were Black. On paper, this made their kidneys appear healthier than they truly were. As a result, kidney disease was sometimes detected later in Black patients, delaying critical treatment and referrals.

Published

2 months ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D (D-San Diego). File photo.

By Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D., Special to California Black Media Partners

Technology is sold to us as neutral, objective, and free of human flaws. We are told that computers remove emotion, bias, and error from decision-making. But for many Black families, lived experience tells a different story. When technology is trained on biased systems, it reflects those same biases and silently carries them forward.

We have seen this happen across multiple industries. Facial recognition software has misidentified Black faces at far higher rates than White faces, leading to wrongful police encounters and arrests. Automated hiring systems have filtered out applicants with traditionally Black names because past hiring data reflected discriminatory patterns. Financial algorithms have denied loans or offered worse terms to Black borrowers based on zip codes and historical inequities, rather than individual creditworthiness. These systems did not become biased on their own. They were trained on biased data.

Healthcare is not immune.

These biases were not limited to software or medical devices. Dangerous myths persisted that Black people feel less pain, contributing to undertreatment and delayed care. These beliefs were embedded in modern training and practice, not distant history. Those assumptions shaped the data that now feeds medical technology. When biased clinical practices form the basis of algorithms, the risk is not hypothetical. The bias can be learned, automated, and scaled.

For us in the Black community, this creates understandable fear and mistrust. Many families already carry generational memories of medical discrimination, from higher maternal mortality to lower life expectancy to being dismissed or unheard in clinical settings. Adding AI biases could make our community even more apprehensive about the healthcare system.

As a physician, I know how much trust patients place in the healthcare system during their most vulnerable moments. As a Black woman, I understand how bias can shape experiences in ways that are often invisible to those who do not live them. As a mother of two Black children, I think constantly about the systems that will shape their health and well-being. As a legislator, I believe it is our responsibility to confront emerging risks before they become widespread harm.

That is why I am the author of Senate Bill (SB) 503. This bill aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare by requiring developers and users of AI systems to identify, mitigate, and monitor biased impacts in their outputs to reduce racial and other disparities in clinical decision-making and patient care.

Currently under consideration in the State Assembly, SB 503 was not written to slow innovation. In fact, I encourage it. But it is our duty must ensure that every tool we in the healthcare field helps patients rather than harms them.

The health of our families depends on it.

About the Author

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D–San Diego) is a physician and public health advocate representing California’s 39th Senate District.

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As California Hits Aging Milestone, State Releases Its Fifth Master Plan for Aging

“California’s Master Plan for Aging started a powerful movement that is shaping the future of aging in our state for generations to come,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement, calling the initiative a “future-forward” model delivering real results for older adults, people with disabilities, and their families.

Published

2 months ago

February 9, 2026

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Jan. 27, California released its Fifth Master Plan for Aging Annual Report,titled “Focusing on What Matters Most,” outlining the state’s progress and priorities as its population rapidly grows older.

The report, issued by the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), provides updates on the Master Plan for Aging’s “Five Bold Goals”: housing, health, inclusion and equity, caregiving, and affordability.

The report comes as Californians aged 60 and older now outnumber those under 18 for the first time, a demographic shift expected to accelerate over the next decade.

Launched in 2021, the Master Plan for Aging takes a “whole-of- government” and “whole-of-society” approach, coordinating state agencies, local governments, community organizations, and private partners. The annual report highlights significant milestones, including more than 100 California communities joining AARP’s Age-Friendly Network and $4 million in state funding awarded to local organizations to develop aging and disability action plans in 30 communities statewide.

The report also underscores California’s leadership at the national level, noting that dozens of states have followed its example and that federal legislation inspired by the plan was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate in December 2025.

CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson emphasized the plan’s focus on equity and resilience amid ongoing challenges.

“The Master Plan for Aging continues to provide a vision, a focus, and a platform for collaboration,” Johnson said. “Equity is at the center of all that we do.”

Looking ahead, the report notes that by 2030, one in four Californians will be age 60 or older, positioning the Master Plan for Aging as a central framework for meeting the state’s long-term social, economic, and health needs.

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Candidates Vying for Governor’s Seat Debate at Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco

The gubernatorial debate participants included Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles mayor; Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor; Betty Yee, former California state controller; Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and attorney general of California; Steve Hilton, political commentator and political adviser; Tom Steyer, entrepreneur, and Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction.

Published

2 months ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

The gubernatorial debate was hosted by KTVU’s Greg Lee, KTTV’s Marla Tellez and KTVU’s Andre Senior. The candidates are (l.-r.): Xavier Becerra, Steve Hilton, Matt Mahan, Tom Steyer, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee.

By Carla Thomas

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, seven candidates took the stage at the historic Ruth Williams–Bayview Opera House in San Francisco for the gubernatorial debate, hosted by the Black Action Alliance (BAA) in partnership with KTVU and sister station KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles.

For many voters, it marked a first opportunity to hear directly from several candidates seeking to lead the nation’s most populous state.

Crucial topics and issues addressed throughout the debate included housing, crime, immigration, climate change, health care and homelessness.

The debate was moderated by KTVU political reporter Greg Lee alongside KTVU’s Andre Senior and KTTV Fox 11’s Marla Tellez.

Candidates also addressed inflation and the rising costs across the state, impacting everything from groceries to childcare and health care.

Thurmond vowed to generate 2.3 million units of housing by placing 12 units on each parcel of available land in the 58 counties of California. Steyer agreed that billionaires should pay their fair share of taxes.

Hilton wanted to cut taxes, help working-class families, and end the Democrats “climate crusade and insane regulations.”

Yee offered a more transparent governmental approach with accountability, given the state’s debt.

Gonzalez said, “This debate was a great way to see who has great ideas and who has substance.”

“It’s important to have the debate within a community that requires the most,” said business leader Linda Fadekye.

Attendees included State Controller Malia Cohen, representatives of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, the National Coalition of 100 Black Men, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce, and Black Women Organized for Political Action, among others.

Event host, the Black Action Alliance (BAA) was established to amplify the voices of the Bay Area’s Black community, whose perspectives have too often been overlooked in politics and public policy.

Loren Taylor, CEO of BAA, said it was important to bring the event to the Bayview in San Francisco and shared his organization’s mission.

“The Black Action Alliance (BAA) stands for practical, community-driven solutions that strengthen public safety, address homelessness, support small businesses, expand affordable housing, and ensure access to quality education—issues at the heart of the Black experience in the Bay Area,” said Taylor.

California’s primary election will take place on June 2 and the general election will take place on Nov. 3.