Successful Strategies for Increasing Enrollment in California's Low Income Health Program (LIHP)

More than 400,000 Californians had ever enrolled in California's Low Income Health Program (LIHP) as of March 2012. These LIHP enrollees, who would otherwise be underinsured or uninsured, now have access to services through their county's safety net facilities and contracted providers. This policy note highlights innovative and successful strategies for outreach, enrollment, and redetermination and retention, as well as the challenges faced by LIHPs.

This policy note was funded by the Blue Shield California Foundation and the California Department of Health Care Services.   CORRECTION, Sept. 14, 2012: An earlier version of this report contained minor errors. On page 8, exhibit 4 was incorrectly labeled. On the same page, the last two sentences have changed from "A vast majority (92 percent) are new enrollees. Of the total LIHP population, 69 percent have incomes at or below 133% FPL (Exhibit 4)." to "Close to three-fourths (74 percent) are new enrollees. Of the total LIHP population, 92 percent have incomes at or below 133% FPL (Exhibit 4)." The corrected version of the report is below.  

Publication Authors:

• Ying-Ying Meng, DrPH
• Livier Cabezas, M.P.Aff.
• Dylan H. Roby, PhD
• Nadereh Pourat, PhD
• Gerald F. Kominski, Ph.D.