Wolk bill strengthens program to simplify health insurance enrollment for children

Key committee moves bill to help enroll children in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families

SACRAMENTO–The Assembly Committee on Health voted 10 to 5 yesterday to approve legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) to strengthen a program that simplifies the health insurance application process for low-income children.

Assembly Bill 420 clarifies existing law requiring participants in the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to enroll uninsured children in Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs using their existing applications for other programs. Wolk’s legislation would help better utilize available funding by requiring that only local WIC agencies serving the most uninsured participants, take part in the “gateway” program.

“Too many children in California are without health insurance,” said Wolk. “But with the right resources, WIC offices can easily and efficiently enroll children as they apply for WIC services.  We reach more children, and better utilize available funds. It’s a win-win situation.”   

WIC provides approximately 1.4 million low–income women, infants, and children statewide with supplementary nutrition, education, and referrals to health and social services.

This legislation also makes mandatory WIC site participation contingent upon public and private funding for WIC sites’ gateway activities.  Prior legislation, which established the gateway program, did not explicitly tie funding to these gateway activities and left an “undue burden” on local WIC programs, Wolk said.  

Testifying in support of the bill were Terri Cowger Hill with the 100% Campaign and Laurie True, the executive director of the California WIC Association. The California WIC Association and 100% Campaign—comprised of Children Now, The Children’s Defense Fund & The Children’s Partnership— are sponsoring the bill along with PICO California.

“There are 86,000 children, about 8 percent of our WIC child population, who are not insured, and they can be reached with this bill,” said True. “WIC is a great platform for this work. However, the WIC program is not funded to provide the detailed eligibility assistance and pre-enrollments called for in the WIC gateway program, which is why we welcome this legislation.”

AB 420, which will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, is also supported by Children NOW, Children's Defense Fund California, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, The Children's Partnership, and United Way.