At a glance
- WHAT: Westside Resource Center
- WHEN: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
- WHERE: 118 N. Second St.
- DETAILS: Information and referral office. Clients seeking enrollment in medical programs should call and make an appointment, so staff members can advise what papers to bring with them.
- INFO: 892-6688.
State and federal funding for children’s health programs is increasingly tight these days, and Patterson native David Rivera wants to make sure children get the medical care they need.
As an information and referral specialist for United Way of Stanislaus County, Rivera meets with families at the Westside Resource Center each Thursday to connect them with needed services.
Rivera said children become ill more often than adults, and extra premiums for families and extra co-pay can add up. As a result, the resource center is trying to get the word out about available programs for children.
Programs to ponder
A couple of the more popular programs are the Kaiser Child Health Plan and state- and federally funded Healthy Families plan.
Rivera said the Kaiser Child Health Plan is particularly popular among immigrant families.
Kaiser Permanente’s plan is the only program in Stanislaus County that accepts undocumented children. That’s helpful for families that have older children who are born in Mexico and younger children who are born in the United States, Rivera explained.
“It is also starting to catch on with people from the Bay Area,” Rivera said. “It’s a private insurance; it’s a ‘for profit’ — not like Healthy Families. A high-income family of five can make $70,000 a year.”
The Kaiser plan costs $8 to $15 per child per month for up to three children, depending on family income and size. There’s no extra charge for more than three children.
By contrast, Healthy Families is solely for families who can’t afford insurance through their employer and don’t qualify for MediCal, a state program for people with low incomes. The program, run through various insurance providers in the state, is based on family size and income.
Healthy Families includes medical, dental and vision coverage. Families can choose the health plan and provider who fits their needs. Premiums range from $4 to $15 per child for up to three children and $45 for more than three children in a family.
People who are interested in signing up for those health care programs can get a bit of help at the resource center.
Rivera and Albertina Reynoso, Dejuene Shelton and Violet Wells of the West Side Resource Center are certified to fill out Healthy Families and MediCal insurance forms.
West Side Resource Center staff — which fills an average of five children’s medical applications a day — determines what program a family might be eligible for and fills out the required paperwork. Then, it is up to the families to follow through after approval.
Funding challenges
Rivera stressed that it is particularly important for people to get connected with health care programs in light of recent federal health care legislation that failed to get approval.
President Bush last month vetoed the State Children’s Health Program — a bill that would have provided $35 billion over five years on children’s health programs. The program would have subsided health coverage for more than 6 million people, mostly children. It was aimed at those who cannot afford private health insurance and make too much money for Medicaid.
“(Bush) feels that families that already have health insurance will drop their children and put them on Healthy Families or other programs,” Rivera said.
State cutbacks have presented challenges, too.
The Westside Resource Center stopped receiving money from a state Outreach, Enrollment, Recruitment and Utilization Grant in July after state funding was cut.
Rivera and Reynoso did community outreach under the grant, which was supposed to provide $30,000 over three years. Funding from the grant, however, lasted only seven months.
The goal of the grant was to enroll 50 children in health programs each year, and the Westside Resource Center reached that goal by July.
Reynoso said as much as the programs and agencies try to help those in need, money is scarce.
“It’s sad right now, because a lot of agencies are not getting the funding they need,” Reynoso said.
Despite such funding woes, Westside Resource Center’s staff continues to help local families find medical care.
“We want to do what’s best for them and give them options, too,” Reynoso said.
Rivera said he is thankful he can help get the word out about children’s medical care and work with the West Side Resource Center staff.
“We do work very well together,” Rivera said. “I am grateful for the partnership we have.”
To reach Maddy Houk at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail her at
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