AIM and Income Disregard Programs Help Out California Expectant Moms

Expectant moms unable to afford health insurance coverage may
qualify for the Access for Infants and Mothers Program (AIM) or else
the Medi-Cal Income Disregard Program, both administered by the State
of California.

If the Terminator's controversial budget cuts somehow spare them,
two health insurance options that financially struggling expecting
mothers might target is AIM – The Access for Infants and Mothers
program, a health insurance program administered by the State of
California that is not a Medi-Cal program, and one that is the Medi-Cal
Income Disregard Program.

AIM provides full coverage private health insurance at low cost to
pregnant women during pregnancy as well as a full two months into
postnatal. To be eligible, the family's income must fall between 200%
and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level amount as configured by the size
of the applicant's family. Property limits do not apply. Applications
are accepted at local Social Service Agency Intake offices where an
appointment with an Information Supervisor is appropriate.

Although the Income Disregard Program has a lower income threshold
for eligibility, it involves considerably more "red tape." Pregnant
women seeking "Income Disregard" coverage must apply in person by
visiting one of the Social Service Agency Intake offices and filling it
out an application or calling an Intake office and asking for a
mail-in-Medi-Cal application. Again, the Information Supervisor is the
key contact person. But to "disregard" your income, you first must
prove that you don't have any, more or less. Applicants must provide
proof of identity, proof of pregnancy, proof of Social Security number,
proof of immigration status, proof of California residency, and perhaps
most crucially, proof of income. So expect to bring along a slew of
documents to your interview.

Requirements are stringent because the Income Disregard Program is
true to its name. To eligible pregnant women, this special Medi-Cal
program provides prenatal and postnatal care to pregnant women at no
cost. But pregnant women applying for this program must be fully
evaluated by an Eligibility Worker (EW) at one of the Intake offices
and determined to have a share of cost. A share of cost is roughly
equivalent to a monthly deductible. It is the amount for medical
expenses that a Medi-Cal beneficiary must pay or be obligated to pay
prior to any reimbursement for medical expenses by Medi-Cal. Also, the
net nonexempt family income must not exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty
Level while eligibility can begin no earlier than the first day of the
month the pregnancy is reported.

Matt Lockard – California Health Insurance agency offers health
insurance plans for individuals, families, and children. Also available
are California Medicare Supplement policies. Go to Mattsinsurance4ca.com to get an instant health insurance quote and to learn more about California health insurance, California medicare supplements, California health insurance quotes.