California Health Insurance California Department Of Insurance
How do I get the best Health Insurance
coverage?
Evaluate plans carefully: Read the fine print to make sure all the coverage
you need is contained in the policies you’re offered.
Compare prices between at least three insurers: You’d be surprised how
many companies offer the same or similar coverage at a wide range of
prices.
Talk to family and friends: Find out if anyone you know has used an
insurer you are considering and, if so, whether or not they would use
them again…and why.
Check out customer service ratings: The Better Business Bureau or independent
companies like Weiss Ratings, Inc. can inform you of consumer complaints
and service ratings.
When considering your options, know what you’re getting — medical insurance
or a medical discount plan. If you’re not sure, check with your state
insurance commissioner to see if the company offering the plan is registered
to sell insurance in your state. If the company is not registered to
sell health insurance and you want to buy health insurance, consider
shopping elsewhere. Remember that if you buy a health insurance plan,
it generally covers a broad array of services, and pays you or your
health care provider for your medical bills. If you buy a medical discount
plan, you generally are paying for a list of providers and sellers who
may be willing to offer “discounts” on some of their services, products
or procedures. If you’re interested in buying a medical discount plan,
you should investigate the details before you pay any money.
Research California Free Health Insurance Quote Options Below.
About California Health Insurance Money Savings Options
Finding Health Care
For information about your state's program offering free or low-cost
health insurance for your child or teen go to
Insure Kids Now.
HRSA’s Health Center Locator can
help you find a health center in your community. These health centers
serve all who walk through their doors, regardless of ability to pay.
Free or reduced health care is also available at some facilities nationwide
through HRSA’s
Hill-Burton program.
Staying Healthy
On the Agency for
Health Care Research and Quality's Consumers & Patients page, the
publication entitled
The Pocket Guide
to Staying Healthy at 50+ has information on checkups, immunizations
and adopting healthy habits for people over 50. HRSA's publication
Nutrition and
Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides information
for families and children about how to stay healthy and active.
Promoting Organ Donation
You can give the Gift of Life by becoming an organ donor. More than
75,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant because too few
of us are willing to be organ and tissue donors. HHS Secretary Tommy
G. Thompson has launched an Organ
Donor initiative to promote organ donation and encourage people
to make an informed decision about organ donation.
Promoting Health Careers
If you are interested in a health profession, HRSA's publication entitled
The
Allied Health Professions: Opportunities for Minority Students -- A
Career Guidebook, 2000 may be helpful to you. This guidebook introduces
students to allied health careers and provides information for those
interested in pursuing such a career.
HRSA's Kids Into Health Careers campaign has information about encouraging children and young adults to pursue a rewarding career in the health care field. Financial aid information is also included.
Caring for People with HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS continues to be a major health problem facing us all. HRSA
provides HIV/AIDS information for clinicians who care for people living
with HIV/AIDS. HRSA's Ryan White CARE Act program developed
A Guide to
the Clinical Care of Women with HIV.
Raising Healthy Children
To help parents raise healthy children, the HRSA-supported
Bright Futures initiative
provides expert advice and guidelines on practical ways to supervise
the health of infants, children and adolescents ages 0-21. Bright Futures
includes information on nutrition, oral health, mental health, physical
activity and healthy families.
Preventing School Violence
Violence in our schools is a serious problem and bullying behavior is
part of the problem. HRSA has created a "Lend A Hand - Stop Bullying
Now" campaign with a Web site specifically designed for children to
help educate them, their parents, and teachers about recognizing and
understanding what bullying is and how to stop it. Visit our Web site
at www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov
and meet all the great Webisode cartoon characters and learn how to
stop bullying.
Improving Mental Health
Information on improving the mental health of children, young people
and their families is available from the HRSA funded
Center for School Mental Health
Assistance at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and
the Center for Mental Health
in Schools at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Prenatal and Newborn
Care
Order your free
Health Diary:
Myself, My Baby from HRSA Information Center. It contains information
on fetal and child development, prenatal and newborn care and an immunization
table. There is also a section where you can record and track your prenatal
and pediatric appointments.
Diabetes
HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care has developed the Lower Extremity
Amputation Prevention Program also known as the
LEAP Program. Learn more about
the steps you can take to reduce your risk of lower extremity amputation.
FirstGov
FirstGov is the official government gateway to Federal, state, local,
and tribal information, programs, funding, news releases, phone directories
and more.
Health Information
Healthfinder is a free guide
to reliable health information where you can select online publications,
clearinghouses, databases, web sites, support and self-help groups,
as well as other government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.
AIDS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established
the National Prevention Information
Network which provides information and resources on HIV disease
and treatment. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-458-5231. The
HIV/AIDS Treatment Information
Service which is sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine,
provides up to date HIV/AIDS treatment information and referrals including
clinical trials. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-448-0440.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health,
REACH (Resources for
Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health) develops and tests new ways
to help families manage the daily activities and stress of caring for
people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Closing the Health Gap
HHS's national campaign Closing
the Health Gap offers information about bringing the best health
information to African American communities.
Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, produced a very informative
web page, Mind Over
Matter Index, which explains to children in grades 5-9 the effects
of drug abuse on the body and brain.
Elderly
The Administration on Aging provides
health information, elder care service locator, resource directory,
safety tips, hotline for legal advice and much more for older people.
Food Safety
The Food and Drug Administration has good advice and information
on a variety of consumer issues including food safety, foodborne illness,
dietary supplements, cosmetics, and more. Visit the
FDA Consumer Advice
web page.
Medicare and Medicaid
Visit HHS’s Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services to learn about how these programs work and
the services they provide.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Should you need or want information or assistance for a mental health
or substance abuse problem, HHS’s Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) can help.
Safer Health Care
Each year its estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in
U.S. hospitals because of lapses in patient safety. A Task Force, led
by the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, has developed
Five Steps to Safer
Health Care to help patients avoid medical errors and misunderstandings.
They are:
Speak up if you have questions. 2.Keep a list of all medicines you take. 3.Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure. 4.Talk with your doctor and health care team about your options if you need hospital care. 5.Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery.
Alcohol Addiction
The Al-Anon Family Group
Headquarters, Inc is an international organization dedicated to
the support and recovery of families and friends of alcoholics. This
self-help program is based on 12 steps towards personal growth and change.
You can locate the nearest support group through this site’s locator
service.
Birth Defects
The March of Dimes has resources
for reducing infant mortality, birth defects, prenatal care, and more.
Cancer
The American Cancer Society
provides information, support, and resources to answer your cancer related
questions.
Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association
can explain the difference between juvenile and adult diabetes, the
warning signs, and the important role your diet and exercise play in
avoiding and improving this diagnosis.
Heart Disease and Stroke
The American Heart Association
has information on how to fight heart disease and stroke and even get
lessons on CPR.
Mental Health
The National Mental Health Association
provides helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. Find
a local mental health association or health facility or browse news
and events.
Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
Administered by the American Association
of Poison Control Centers, this public service will instantly connect
you to the nearest poison control center.
Suicide Prevention
The
Suicide and Mental Health Association International (SMHAI) provides
valuable information and guidance on suicidal behavior, awareness and
treatment.
By 2007, California's population has reached 37,700,000, making it the most populated state, and is the 13th fastest-growing state. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 1,909,368 people (that is 3,375,297 births minus 1,465,929 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 774,198 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 1,724,790 people, and migration within the country produced a net decrease of 950,592