California has multiple programs that provide support to children with complex medical needs and disabilities. But accessing and making use of these programs is a minefield for many families.
Vivian Vasquez and John Hernandez discovered that for themselves after their daughter, Claire, was born with a rare genetic disorder.
California has a variety of programs aimed at supporting the health care needs of children with complex disabilities. But accessing and utilizing these programs is complicated and time consuming.
The California Health Report spoke with several experts and disability advocates about what can be done to ease the burden on families and ensure children with disabilities get the care they need.
It’s common for people with disabilities to have trouble accessing health care, but this problem is often overlooked. These challenges can affect people as they move from pediatric to adult care, and also as they age.
I’ve seen how disability and health intersect, both in my academic studies and through my own lived experiences as a person with disabilities.
The California Health Report spoke with disability rights experts and parent advocates about what families who speak a language other than English need to know about their rights when accessing health care and special education services, and tips on how to advocate for themselves.
Almost half of California residents speak a language other than English at home, most often Spanish.
As a practicing physician for more than 20 years and the son of two immigrant parents, patients often ask me whether applying for Medi-Cal health care coverage will affect their ability to stay in this country.
Medi-Cal has expanded to include every low-income California resident regardless of immigration status. When my patients ask me if they should apply for Medi-Cal, I can now assure them it is safe.
For me, the most important thing about the holidays is food. I love cooking almost as much as I love eating.
But that perception was challenged when my son, James, was born with medically intensive disabilities. I wanted my son to have a positive relationship with food, even though he is fed through a tube. To do that, I had to tackle my own emotional baggage about what it means to feed my family.
California’s ambitious journey to reshape health care through the multiyear Medi-Cal reform effort known as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) represents a profound leap forward.
As someone with more than 30 years of experience in health care information technology, here are the strategies I believe can make CalAIM a success.
Adults with disabilities no longer qualify for the same care, services and programs that they did as children. Instead, youth who turn 18 and their families must tackle a long checklist of tasks.
Yet with knowledge of the right resources and time to plan, this transition can be more manageable.
Domestic violence is a problem that exists in all communities irrespective of culture, religion, sexual orientation, income or immigration status.
Yet, despite its prevalence, we are facing federal budget cuts for programs that help domestic violence survivors and try to prevent future abuse.
Family Justice Centers are designed to provide one-stop support for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse and human trafficking.
The goal is to make it easy for violence survivors and their children to get all of their needs taken care of in one place, and to spare them from having to visit multiple locations and retell their stories repeatedly.
A critical program that medically fragile children depend on to get at-home care is broken, leaving families desperate.
This is a medical and developmental emergency for children with disabilities, and California needs to act quickly to fix it.
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