Ventura County’s Medi-Cal Plan Now Serves More than 200,000 Residents
CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) reached a milestone in its membership this month, surpassing 200,000 members.
With 202,360 members, GCHP is on track to quickly surpass its projected membership of 203,070 for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which ends June 30.
“We keep expecting membership to level off, but it continues to grow,” said Dale Villani, the Plan’s chief executive officer. “Our goal is to provide care for the people who need it most, and every month, we’re able to do that for more and more people.”
Most of the growth is due to the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion in 2014, which extended Medi-Cal benefits to adults between the ages of 19 and 64 whose income fell below 138% of the federal poverty level.
Already, one in two children five years of age or younger who are living in Ventura County are covered by Medi-Cal. And next year, GCHP’s membership is expected to expand again when the state extends coverage to undocumented children, estimated at 3,000 in Ventura County alone.
About Gold Coast Health Plan: Gold Coast Health Plan is an independent public entity created by a Ventura County ordinance and authorized through Federal Legislation. GCHP is not a county agency. The county Board of Supervisors approved implementation of a County Organized Health System (COHS) model, transitioning from fee-for-service Medi-Cal to managed care on June 2, 2009. The purpose of GCHP is to serve Medi-Cal beneficiaries, enhance the quality of health care, provide greater access, improve service and provide choice. The Plan provides health benefits to more than 202,000 beneficiaries throughout the county. To learn more about GCHP, visit: www.goldcoasthealthplan.org.