State Sponsored or Administered Health Coverage
The state of California offers specialty programs and/or assistance programs to those who do not qualify for health insurance due to preexisting conditions or income restrictions, and for small employers of 2 to 50 workers. Contact information for each of the programs is available in the resources section of this brochure.
The Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) offers limited health insurance benefits to California residents who are unable to purchase health insurance due to a preexisting medical condition. If you have a preexisting condition and are not eligible for COBRA, Cal-COBRA, or HIPAA, then you can apply to MRMIP as a last resort to obtain health coverage. This program provides health care coverage through contracted health insurance companies and health plans. MRMIP is partially subsidized; however, qualifying participants must pay a portion of the premium, which can be costly. MRMIP is under the jurisdiction of the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB).
Originally designed to protect children of low income parents, the Healthy Families Program provides low cost health, dental, and vision coverage to children whose parents earn too much to qualify for public assistance, but do not earn enough to purchase comprehensive major medical coverage for their children. The Healthy Families Program is administered by MRMIP. There is a current proposal to expand the Healthy Families Program to include the parents of eligible children through special federal funding.
Access for Infants and Mothers Program (AIM)
In an effort to expand prenatal and preventive care for pregnant women, California established the Access for Infants and Mothers Program (AIM). AIM is administered by a five-person board that has established a comprehensive benefits package that includes both inpatient and outpatient care for program enrollees. Pregnant women of low to moderate income are eligible for the program and participate in the cost of health care services by paying a reduced premium. The state of California subsidizes AIM to make up for the full cost of the program benefits.
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