Date

5-2025

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Collaborative Health and Human Services

Abstract

Secure healthcare coverage is crucial for facilitating timely access to preventative care and medical treatment. A significant number of Santa Cruz County residents are losing Medi-Cal benefits. Key barriers to healthcare coverage may include lack of adequate knowledge concerning Medi-Cal requirements, the shift away from automatic Medi-Cal renewal and significant language barriers. Community Action Board is a non-profit organization serving the uninsured and low-income communities of Santa Cruz and Monterey County. With the support of Community Action Board, an educational intervention workshop centered on Medi-Cal rights and responsibilities was offered to the community. The project aimed to provide comprehensive information and improve participants' understanding of their entitlements and obligations as current, new or prospect Medi-Cal beneficiaries. As a result, there were a total of 15 participants who attended the workshop and completed a pre and post survey that was focused on the information they knew before and how much they learned after the workshop. The final results of the project reflect an increase in the participants' knowledge of their Medi-Cal rights and responsibilities following the workshop. Recommendations are to expand a targeted educational campaign that is directly focused on the education of Medi-Cal benefits and actively soliciting client feedback to assess the effectiveness of current education and service provision, as well as to identify additional forms of community support required. These initiatives are intended to empower the community to enhance and sustain knowledge regarding Medi-Cal rights and responsibilities, ultimately working towards the reduction of healthcare gaps and most importantly the elimination of healthcare disparities.

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