No. Healthy Families is for working families who earn more than the limits for Medi-Cal or welfare, yet can’t afford the high premiums for health insurance coverage offered by their employers or commercial plans.

It is not totally free health care. You pay very low monthly premiums and very low co-payments for services.

No. INS guidelines issued May 26, 1999, permit immigrants and their children to use the health care benefits without affecting their Immigration Status.

This includes the Healthy Families Program, WIC, Medi-Cal, and many other programs.
INS will not consider immigrants a Public Charge just because they use these health care benefits.

INS will not deny your legal admission to the U.S.
INS will not deny your application for legal permanent residency.

If your child is covered today by you or your spouse’s employer, your child is NOT eligible for Healthy Families Program.

If you disenroll your child from their current employer-paid health insurance, they would not be eligible to enroll in the Healthy Families Program for 3 months.

No. The application is only 4 pages.

Call 1-866-294-IEHP (4347)/TTY 1-800-720-4347. IEHP's bilingual Enrollment Assistants can help you apply on the phone

You mail the first month’s premium payment with your application. You make your payment directly to the Healthy Families Program not to the health plan. Your payment will be due on the 20th of the month.

You can pay by personal check, cashier’s check, money order, credit card, electronic fund transfer or by cash at pay stations, such as at Western Union.

Not yet. The State of California is waiting for federal approval to expand health, dental and vision coverage to uninsured parents. If you give me your name, address, and phone number we’ll contact you when parents can begin enrolling.”

Also parents of currently enrolled HFP children with family incomes that are eligible for coverage will be mailed a shorter form to apply once federal approval has been given.