Kaiser Permanente is expanding its health coverage free of charge to uninsured and low-income young adults who cannot afford to purchase health insurance.
The Community Health Care Program’s coverage includes preventive care, medication and vision services, according to a news release from the hospital. Citizenship is not a requirement to enroll, the hospital stated.
The program is open to adults between the ages of 19 and 25 who do not qualify for Medi-Cal, meet income eligibility and who live in Fresno, Madera or Kings counties. According to the program’s enrollment guidelines, eligible applicants will pay no monthly premium and will not pay for most care at a Kaiser Permanente facility.
Kaiser Permanente Fresno senior vice president and area manager Debbie Hemker said the group being targeted for health coverage is a group normally limited in obtaining health coverage.
“We want to expand access to health care in our community, so more residents canreceive the care they need to stay healthy,” Hemker explained in the news release.
The enrollment process for the new and expanded Community Health Care Program began on Nov. 1, 2017, and runs until Jan. 31.
The hospital has set a goal to have 1,000 residents enrolled in the program by Dec. 31, 2019.
For information about eligibility, contact Kaiser Permanente Member Service Center at 1-800-464-4000, or visit its website at kp.org/communityhealthcareprogram.