Securing Health Rights for Those in Need

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Securing Health Rights for Those in Need
The Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) Data on
Children Access to Oral Health in 13 California
Counties
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HCA, An Innovative Partnership

• The HCA mission is to help low-income
  Californians obtain essential health care.
• Nine community-based health consumer centers, the
  National Health Law Program and Western Center on
  Law and Poverty.
• HCA provides service in thirteen California
  counties Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles,
  Orange, Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, and Yolo,
  San Diego, San Francisco and Alameda, and San
  Mateo.

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HCA Quantifies Consumer Problems
HCA assists 3/5 of all low-income Californians
and provides quantified information on the
barriers they face obtaining health care.
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Health Law Database

• HCA gathers and stores information about all
  the clients it helps and the problems they face.
  
• The data is compiled on a statewide basis and
  analyzed.
• The analysis of this data is utilized in
  advocacy, policy reports, media stories, with the
  potential of helping solve not only one client's
  problem, but systemic issues. 

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HCA Data Collection Eligibility, Service
Problems, and Service Needed

• In addition to demographics, health program
  coverage, and other relevant information, we
  collect information on the type of problems
  consumers report and the health service they
  need. We divide problems into
•  Eligibility Problems problems a health
  consumer has getting health coverage
•  Service Problems problems a health consumer has
  getting health services

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Service Problems and Services Needed by Consumers
, Captured by HCA

• SERVICE PROBLEMS INCLUDE
• Billing/charges to or payments from consumer
• Care unaffordable
• Care unavailable/inaccessible
• Delayed Services/referral/appt
• Denied Services/referral/appt
• SERVICES NEEDED
• Ambulance
• Dental/orthodontic
• Emergency care
• Hospital care
• Laboratory
• Preventive visit

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Top five programs under which consumers with the
service needed "Dental/orthodontic were
coveredConsumers aged 0 to 21 in cases closed
between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2007
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Top five health programs under whichthe service
needed was "Dental/orthodontic"Consumers aged 0
to 21 in cases closed between 1/1/2006 and
12/31/2007
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Top five service problemswith the service needed
"Dental/orthodontic"Consumers aged 0 to 21 in
cases closed between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2007
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Top five entries for who caused the problemfor
service needed "Dental/orthodontic"Consumers
aged 0 to 21 in cases closed between 1/1/2006 and
12/31/2007
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Top five service problems within the top five
programswhere the service needed was
"Dental/orthodontic"Consumers aged 0 to 21 in
cases closed between 1/1/2006 and 12/31/2007
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HCA, An Innovative Partnership

• Kim Lewis
• Western Center on Law and Poverty
• klewis_at_wclp.org
• 213.235.2628