ADVISORY/Health Consumer Alliance Helps Thousands of Californians Access Medical Services and Retain Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Coverage.

Medical/Health Reporters

ADVISORY...for Wednesday (Feb. 19)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Program Receives $7 Million Following Demonstrated Success

at Improving the Uninsured's Access to Health Care

and Troubleshooting on Behalf of Health Consumers

WHAT:       Health Consumer Alliance (HCA), a legal services
            advocacy organization, will hold a press conference to
            announce the results of the program's evaluation and
            infusion of funds for its continuation. A recent
            independent evaluation of the program by the USC Division
            of Community Health demonstrates the success of the
            program's advocacy and troubleshooting efforts on behalf
            of vulnerable, low-income health consumers to ensure their
            enrollment and retention into Medi-Cal and Healthy
            Families. The program also helps low-income, uninsured
            individuals who don't qualify for those programs obtain
            medical services and provides many other services,
            including resolving billing disputes and helping
            low-income seniors get prescription drugs. A new $7
            million grant from The California Endowment allows for the
            program's continuation and expansion. Health Consumer
            Centers serve residents in Sacramento, San Francisco,
            Alameda, El Dorado, Yolo, Placer, San Mateo, Fresno, Los
            Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

WHY:        Many eligible, low-income health consumers face
            barriers to enrolling in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families.
            Once enrolled, they encounter obstacles to accessing
            needed medical services. A recent study commissioned by
            the 100% Campaign titled, "Children Falling Through the
            Cracks," states that 35 percent of families covered or
            formerly covered by Medi-Cal were dropped from the program
            by mistake and 18 percent of those who lost coverage did
            not know why. Through individualized counseling, outreach,
            education, and policy advocacy, HCA, with seven centers
            serving 11 counties, has helped more than 45,000
            low-income Californians since 1998.

WHO:        Senator Deborah Ortiz; Senator Dede Alpert; The
            California Endowment's President & CEO Robert K. Ross,
            M.D.; Legislative Advocate Angela Gilliard; Associate
            Professor at USC Keck School of Medicine Michael
            Cousineau; Health Consumer Marganit Alverez

WHEN:       Wednesday, February 19, 2003, 10:00 A.M. PST

WHERE:      Governor's Press Room, 1st Floor, Sacramento State Capitol

            A Q&A session will follow the announcement and
            interviews will be available with Health Consumer Alliance
            staff from the seven health consumer centers, and health
            consumers helped by the program.

MEDIA
CONTACT/
RSVP:       Manjusha Kulkarni, J.D., National Health Law Program,
            [phone] ext. 3010