Confusion Leaves Low-Income Children In Health Care Limbo
“For two years, dentists have told Alvarado that her daughter needs braces. They’ve also told her that because the girl has Medi-Cal — the government insurance program for low-income Californians — braces aren’t covered. Legal aid attorneys say the dentists are wrong. They blame a confusing disconnect between state and federal law for preventing many California children from getting the health services to which they are federally entitled. Under federal law, children are eligible for a wide array of services, but confused providers and health plans often look only at the state’s narrow range of approved services for adults, and mistakenly apply those rules to kids.”