If you live in a certain part of California, and need information about the options that may be available if you, or a loved one, requires long term health care, CalCareNet may help. It is not health insurance, despite the fact that it sounds as though it might be. Instead, it is a government run website that can be used as a resource that you use to learn about potential sources of long term health care.
CalCareNet is currently available to people who live in either Orange or Riverside counties in California. This is a pilot program, and may open up to more counties after 2011. It is sponsored by the California Health and Human Services Agency. It provides free information, by telephone or on their website, about what services are available to people who need long term health care in California, (currently in Orange or Riverside counties), as well as where to find those services.
Medicare does not pay for long term health care. It will only pay for acute hospital stays, or a short stay in a nursing facility. It will only pay for a few visits from a Home Health Agency. Medicare will not continue to pay for those services if the patient is not making progress towards a specific rehabilitation goal. If you buy long term health insurance, it will cover some of the costs of personal care services, and long term health care services. How much? This depends on how much you spend on insurance, what kind it is, and the type that you purchased. People using either Medicare of long term health insurance are going to have medical bills that those kinds of health insurance will not cover.
Click on the link called “Related Resources” on the CalCareNet website to see a list of potentially helpful information. There are links with more information that relates to specific conditions that may require long term health care. This includes “aging”, disabilities, mental health, Azheimer’s and Dementias, Traumatic Brain Injury, Drug Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Problem Gambling, and AIDS. There are links to the California Long-Term Care Websites, the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care, Medi-Cal Resources, Resources for Children with long term health care needs, and more.
In short, CalCare is not a form of insurance. It is a gathering of resources that may be helpful or useful for people who are seeking information or options regarding long term health care. You must live in a specific area in California for many of these resources to be available for you.