New county program could help homeless get health care
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

At the last count in January, 166 homeless people were living in Simi Valley but it's considered probable that is a conservative number.

The city, healthcare service groups, faith-based organizations and human aid agencies are trying to get homeless people back on their feet. Some help may come in the form of the ACE program, Access Coverage and Enrollment, targeted to adults ages 19 to 64 who live in Ventura County and don't have health insurance.

The ACE Program, which started on Sept. 1, offers affordable inpatient and outpatient services, including specialty care, through the Ventura County Health Care System.

Mike Powers, the director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency, said one of the goals of the ACE Program is to get people medical attention before they get sick.

"The whole idea is to bring care to the community where people live and ensure that they get good preventative care," Powers said. "We want to get them treatment quickly and have better outcomes. We want to keep people out of hospitals and out of emergency rooms . . . improved outcomes will be more cost effective."

To be eligible for ACE, a person may not be enrolled in any type of health insurance program and can't qualify for Medi-Cal or other insurance plans that are publicly funded.

The annual enrollment fee is based on several factors, including family size and income. Once an individual qualifies for ACE, an enrollment card will be issued.

"Even though it's not technically insurance, it will feel like insurance because of the card," Powers said.

Individuals enrolled in the program get free preventative health visits.

In addition, ACE offers a wide variety of outpatient healthcare services, including medical office visits, immunizations, specialty care, urgent care, prescription drugs, lab tests, and dental, optometry and behavioral health services.

Homeless people have been encountering problems enrolling in ACE, however. To register, individuals must have a Social Security card, and have either a driver's license or California identification card while proving that they are unemployed. Meeting qualifications is not a simple process.

"It's a good program, but we're having to complete extra steps in order to get the homeless qualified for the program," said Betty Eskey, the executive director of the Samaritan Center and a member of the Simi Valley Task Force on Homelessness. "It's at the point where we're going to try to get them Social Security cards and we're driving them to the DMV to try to get their licenses or California IDs. The homeless themselves are excited about the program . . . but it's an easier process to qualify for ones who aren't homeless."

The biggest task for Ventura County is often trying to convince people that the program is real.

"It's amazing how many people come in and don't believe that this is possible," said Pamela Lindeman, service administrator for the ACE program. "They're blown away. People burst into tears and give you hugs.

For more information, call the ACE Enrollment Center at (805) 677-5260. Simi residents can pick up an ACE application form at the Sierra Vista Medical Clinic at 4531 Alamo St. or call the clinic at (805) 520-3248. The new facility, which will open at Mountaingate Plaza next year, will include an urgent care center.

Residents enrolled in the ACE program can also get care at the Simi Valley Public Health Center, 660 E. Los Angeles Ave., Ste. B-2, or the Simi Valley Adult Services Clinic, which offers mental health care, at 3150 Los Angeles Ave.

For more details, call the public health clinic at (805) 578-3675 or the behavioral clinic at (805) 5770830.