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S
tarting the new school
year can be a time of great
excitement. To help your
child get a healthy start, make
a back-to-school health care
checklist.
Aside from school supplies,
this health care checklist should
include a back-to-school checkup.
During a checkup, the Primary
Care Provider (PCP) will review
your child’s growth and overall
health to make sure your child is
healthy and ready to learn.
This is also a good time to talk
to your child’s PCP about which
vaccines or shots your child needs.
Some children may require certain
shots before school starts. For
example, proof of a whooping
cough vaccine is now required to
family health
start the seventh grade. Also, it is
now recommended that pregnant
women in their third trimester get
the whooping cough vaccination.
Vaccines can help protect you and
those around you. Talk to your PCP
about including vaccines as part of
continuing a healthy lifestyle.
Make it a habit to schedule
appointments early. Don’t wait
until the last minute. This way you
can be sure to get an appointment
that is convenient for you. Your
PCP’s schedule could be very busy
right before school starts.
If you have questions about
childhood immunizations, visit the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s Parents’ Guide
to Childhood Immunizations
page:
www.morehealth.org/cdc-pg.
Get the school year
off to a healthy start!
Other health
coverage
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
You may have other health
coverage (OHC) if:
■
■
You have health insurance
through your job, Covered
California, your spouse or partner,
or if you bought insurance on
your own
■
■
You became eligible because of a
new life event, getting married for
example
Your OHC may have ended if:
■
■
You were moved from Covered
California to Medi-Cal
■
■
Your job ended or you were laid
off
■
■
You didn’t work enough hours
to qualify for insurance through
your job
■
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You stopped paying your
premiums
■
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You canceled your policy for any
reason
Who do I contact to update
my OHC information?
If
you have Medi-Cal, call your
county Medi-Cal office. It is
important that you give them this
information so they can update
your case. You should also call
Alliance Member Services. They
will have to verify that your OHC
has ended before they can update
your information.
Why is it important that I
update my OHC?
■
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To make sure there are no
problems with being seen at
your doctor’s office or getting
prescriptions at the pharmacy
■
■
So you won’t get a bill from your
doctor’s office
2
living
healthy