Sacramento, CA — The California Coverage and Health Initiatives proudly declares May 2017 as “Medi-Cal Awareness Month” and releases a Medi-Cal Awareness Video with Senator Richard Pan, MD, MPH.

“California Coverage and Health Initiatives’ members are on the front line of our health care delivery system,” said Mark Diel, Chief Executive Officer of the California Coverage and Health Initiatives. “They create strong, trusted relationships with our most vulnerable low-income and immigrant children and families and help them enroll in and navigate health care.”

The California Coverage and Health Initiatives’ 40 members have a presence in 44 counties across the state and serve over half a million Californians annually. These local organizations build strong relationships with consumers and are the first stop when a consumer enters the health care delivery system. There is action pending at the federal level that threatens to take away Medi-Cal coverage from vulnerable Californians and that jeopardizes funding in California’s state budget.

“To understand Medi-Cal’s vital role, you needn’t look further than who it covers because one-third of all Californians are on Medi-Cal as well as half of all children and half of all pregnant women,” said Dr. Richard Pan, a pediatrician and State Senator representing the Sacramento region. “When you have a third of all people enrolled in one health care system, it is absolutely imperative that it lives up to its promise and keeps people healthy and in turn, our economy strong.”

When a person has health care and is healthy, they are better able to work, support their families, learn, and grow. It is critical to continue to make Medi-Cal available to all Californians that need it.

“At Sacramento Covered, we take great pride in helping Sacramentans enroll in, stay in, and navigate our complex health system,” said Kelly Bennett, CEO of Sacramento Covered and Chair of the CCHI Board. “Our consumers are the life of our community— we love helping families achieve their health goals.”

The California Coverage and Health Initiatives members will be meeting with their local elected officials and conduct Medi-Cal Awareness Month outreach.

California Coverage and Health Initiatives (CCHI) is a statewide association of 40 outreach, enrollment, and navigation organizations covering 44 counties focused on helping Californians enroll in affordable health coverage, and navigate the delivery system to access high quality health services. CCHI represents the largest network of outreach, enrollment, and navigation organizations in the State, including community health initiatives, county offices, independent non-profit organizations, clinics, and family resource centers. CCHI’s 40 members also partner with over 623 local organizations throughout the state to offer education, navigation, and coordination services. Many partners serve multiple generations of families who are referred by friends, church members, or other trusted community leaders. Collectively, CCHI’s member organizations served 560,000 Californians last year.

Sacramento Covered is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving the overall health of area residents by connecting them to primary and preventative care, and other needed resources. Through one-on-one assistance, Sacramento Covered helps the uninsured, newly insured, and underserved in our community overcome barriers to accessing health care.