LOS ANGELES – May 6, 2020 – Today Health Net awarded $13.4 million to California Medi-Cal providers to support the establishment and expansion of telehealth and telephonic services. Los Angeles County community health centers received $4.7 million to support telehealth implementation and expansion. We thank Health Net for taking the initiative to support safety net providers during this challenging time and helping to ensure essential care continues to be provided in our most vulnerable communities.
Community clinics and health centers clinics are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and face unprecedented challenges as they respond to this crisis. Health centers urgently need support as they adapt their operations so they can safely continue to provide high-quality care to their patients and communities. Almost two-thirds of clinic patients in Los Angeles are on Medi-Cal, and those numbers will only increase as this crisis wears on and people lose their jobs and their health insurance. The funding provided by Health Net will enable clinics to implement and expand much-needed telehealth capabilities so they can continue to serve those most in need.
We thank Health Net for its responsiveness to the needs of Medi-Cal providers and for more significantly increasing the amount of funding available through this grant opportunity to support safety net providers. The benefits of telehealth will extend beyond the COVID-19 crisis and will help mitigate other challenges our patients face in accessing health care services, including transportation, child care and time off work. CCALAC looks forward to supporting our members in implementing this much needed technology that will protect lives now and enhance access to services over the long-term.
THE COMMUNITY CLINIC ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY (CCALAC) is the largest regional association of community clinics and health centers in California. Founded in 1994, CCALAC has 65 members that serve nearly 1.7 million patients throughout LA County. CCALAC is dedicated to serving and representing the interests of its member clinics as providers of quality health care, including medical, dental and pharmacy services. For more information about CCALAC, visit www.ccalac.org or call (213) 201-6500.
Contact: Joanne Preece, MPH – Director of Government & External Affairs, (213) 201-6515.