MCHA is a partner of BAILA. BAILA is a team of benefits enrollers, legal service providers, community outreach workers. We support Los Angeleno immigrant families and essential workers to access the public benefits they are eligible for to stay healthy and strong. Our services are free!
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Covered CA is now more affordable!
Enrollment continues with a "Qualifying Life Event - Special Enrollment" reason: Needed More Time to Sign up!
See MCHA if you have questions/difficulties!
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(213)749-4261
What you should know about returning to the dentist during COVID-19
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Maternal and Child Health Access
Through direct support, individual advocacy, policy change and health care workforce transformation, MCHA is building a California where women, pregnant people and families are supported, and everyone has the opportunity to be healthy.
Please Help Secure Critical Services
Maternal and Child Health Access (MCHA) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved women, children, and families in Los Angeles County. We empower communities through advocacy, education, and direct services, addressing critical issues such as healthcare access, nutrition, and maternal and child health equity.
Follow the link to lear more about this fundrasing event...
MCHA has updated its flyer for MTM/MSF showing the eligibility requirements for each plan in Los Angeles, with a link to the application form. Note that anyone can refer for these benefits; Medi-Cal plan members may self-refer or be referred by their provider, a community organization, or pretty much anyone who can help. The blue sections give information for the provider portals. Please also note that this Medi-Cal program is not meant for food insufficiency, unfortunately, but requires a chronic or other medical condition or risk in pregnancy.
Please let MCHA know if you encounter difficulties with referrals or eligibility - we want more groups to know about Medically Tailored Meals/Medically Supportive Food and more Medi-Cal recipients to get them, along with the additional 13CalAIM Community Supports benefits - thank you!
Watch the CHOI Story In October, 2023, the Community Health Outreach Initiave (CHOI) (Health Navigation) won the Silver Eagle award for Quality and Productivity in Los Angeles County. They did so partly by showing that the program saves over $5 million in emergency room costs for everyone they enroll in a health care program. This is besides the numbers of people redetermined for enrollment and assisted in other ways. Congratulations Department of Public Health and Community Health Outreach Initiative agencies!
Navigating through pregnancy, prenatal care, birthing, and breastfeeding information can be overwhelming for existing and new mothers. Through a childbirth education class, mother and supportive person can learn important skills and health information to approach the birthing process with more confidence and ease.
Health Statistic: According to American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, participating in childbirth classes could reduce threats of adverse delivery outcomes (Gluck et al., 2018).
Please use the following link to find a childbirth education class near you. Each hospital has its own eligibility requirements and cost for services.
MCHA can help get babies added or start new cases, and help people enroll, but it doesn't necessarily take an advocate, or shouldn't. Let us know if questions! Use our flyer! 213-749-4261
MCHA - Addressing the needs of women
in Los Angeles
Mom talks about How the Welcome Baby Program Made Her Family Stronger
Maternal and Child Health Access was a finalist for consideration for 2019 funding from the XX Fund; the XX Fund was founded to address the needs of women and girls in Los Angeles and is committed to bringing about lasting social change. As a part of that process, MCHA is honored to have had this video produced and directed by Cheryl Nathan, with cinematography and editing by Miguel Paulo Arcilla. The XX fund is hosted at the Liberty Hill Foundation, which advances social change through a strategic combination of grants, leadership training, and campaigns (Liberty Hill)
Outreach Specialist Nicole Craig at Maternal and Child Health Access talks to a mom (also named Nicole) about her experience in the Welcome Baby program. She enrolled when she was pregnant and continued to receive services after she delivered at California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles, which is one of the 14 hospitals in Los Angeles County that offer the free Welcome Baby program. The program is funded by First 5 LA and works with other home visiting programs (also free and funded by First 5 LA) in the Family Strengthening Network. Learn more: Welcome Baby - Stronger Families
MCHA fields thousands of calls a year on our Pregnancy Coverage Line to assist people with pregnancy and reproductive health coverage, including for miscarriage and abortion. We can help not only with enrollment, but with “troubleshooting” gaps in coverage, the need to switch health plans or providers, service delays or denials, and transitions between coverage such as Medi-Cal, Covered CA, and the Medi-Cal Access Program.
Perinatal Mental Health Services Under Medi-Cal - a new issue brief from MCHA
In this issue brief, we summarize the role that Medi-Cal plays in addressing perinatal mental health issues for low-income women and identify efforts to improve access and quality of care. Resources to contact for access to Medi-Cal mental health or substance disorder services and how to improve mental health services for pregnant and postpartum women included at the end of the report.Read more...
Congratulations, Sacramento on dropping infant mortality rate by a whopping 45%! See Capital Public Radio's report here! Pregnancy coaches at Black Mothers United/Her Health First in Sacramento are key to these great results - their work is modeled on the wraparound benefit under Medi-Cal's Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program.
Medi-Cal's Non-Medical Transportation (NMT) benefit is transforming medical access in California by providing round trip transportation to Medi-Cal covered services. There has been some confusion about how Medi-Cal Beneficiaries access this benefit. For more information, please review MCHA's NMT webinar and fact sheet, and consumer-friendly bilingual NMT flyers translated into English/Spanish and English/Chinese.
Special thanks to the Special thanks to the Los Angeles County Perinatal and Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium and Los Angeles Best Babies Network for hosting the webinar. To view more LABBN webinars, please click her.here!
Half of California’s 500,000 births each year are covered by Medi-Cal. An Issue Brief released in June underscores the need for improving the state’s monitoring and oversight of Medi-Cal health plans and providers to ensure that women are offered supportive services to address “psychosocial” needs during pregnancy or the postpartum period. As explained in the report, called “ Closing the Gaps: Psychosocial Services to Improve Maternal and Child Health,” extensive and growing research shows that “social determinants” impact health more than even receiving medical care does. Medi-Cal does cover necessary supports as part of the enhanced benefits package for pregnant women, with federal matching funds. But, the report shows, Medi-Cal program administrators are missing opportunities to ensure that the women who need services beyond medical care for a healthy pregnancy actually receive them.
New Denti-Cal Chart!
The NEW “Benefits Quick Reference Guide” is Denti-Cal’s simplified chart of the full restoration of adult dental benefits and who is eligible to receive these new benefits.
MCHA thanks Denti-Cal for creating a column for pregnant beneficiaries.
Information for those working with pregnant clients:
Women in ALL aid codes (Full Scope, Restricted, Presumptive Eligibility and Pregnancy-Related) are eligible for the full benefits. These restored Denti-Cal benefits are explained in the January, 2018 and the December, 2017 Denti-Cal Provider Bulletins.
Those bulletins, as well as the February, 2018 bulletin, also include the Quick Reference Guide
Pregnant women and postpartum women should be encouraged and informed about these benefits
Inform dental providers by sharing this chart with them.
Before pregnant women are sent to a dental provider:
Call the dentist on her behalf, inform them of the dental benefits, if they are unaware, and fax/email a copy of the chart
Give her a copy of the chart to take to the dentist for her appointment
If you need more assistance, and especially if the pregnant women is STILL turned away or told something isn't covered, call MCHA at 213-749-4261
Over one million women of childbearing age live in California and may be eligible for Access for Infants and Mothers (AIM), now called the Medi-Cal Access Program (MCAP). Yet only a few thousand women are enrolled and taking advantage of its important benefits. Here are 5 things you need to know about MCAP: Read more...
Our Programs and Services links include:
Training and Education, with materials used at Core "We've Got You Covered!" trainings, including our popular income charts for health care programs, our program fact sheets and our colorful bar chart illustrating the many health programs available in the state andLos Angeles County.
Welcome Baby, is our newest program, a free, voluntary family engagement program that focuses on education and support for expectant women and mothers of newborns. The program is offered to all pregnant women, regardless of income or risk factors, who deliver at California Hospital Medical Center
CalFresh, Access to fresh, healthy food is as integral to good health as access to insurance. Through grants from the California Association of Food Banks and LA Care's Community Benefits
Oral Health Advocacy for Pregnant Women and Children The Oral Health project addresses policy and programmatic barriers that impede access and provision of oral health services, focusing on increasing 1) access to appropriate oral health care resources and 2) utilization of preventive and therapeutic dental health services for pregnant women and children in Los Angeles County
Our Policy and Advocacy links provide information on Maternal and Child Health-related legislation and alerts. Be sure to check out our Calendar for the details on upcoming meetings and events and to sign up for trainings. Join our mailing lists under About MCHA. You may choose from our quarterly newsletters, monthly mailing, healthcare advocate or newborn enrollment LISTSERVS. If you would like to contribute to MCHA, please see our Donations links. Here you can make a secure donation with a credit card. You can also review our "Wish List" of items for the office and our clients. We are deeply grateful for your financial and material support.
And don't miss our changing MCHA photos in the lower left-hand corner as you peruse the site. Let us know what you think at info@mchaccess.org and watch our website features GROW!
