MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
11-08-07-advisory-medical-language-access-press-conference.doc
November 8, 2007
Contact:
Caroline Lee (Korean Resource Center) 323-937-3718
Standing Up for Our Rights! – Korean American Seniors Are Taking Action
Medi-Cal Language Access Campaign
What: The Korean Resource Center (KRC) and the Community Health Promoters will hold a press conference on November 9, 2007 to launch the “Medi-Cal Language Access Campaign.” The campaign seeks to prevent serious consequences for limited English Proficient beneficiaries who are unable to understand and respond to critical letters from Medi-Cal.
When: Friday, November 9, 2007, 11:00 AM
Where:Korean Resource Center
900 S. Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
Who:Veronika Geronimo (PALS for Health), Hwang Jin Shin (KRC/Community Health Promoter), and Choon Ja Chung (KRC/Community Health Promoter)
Why: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees beneficiaries for federally funded programs are supplied materials in their preferred language. In this community, 93.5% of Korean American seniors are foreign-born and over 70% have reported “poor ability” to understand written and spoken English. In general Korean American beneficiaries are limited English proficient seniors struggling to comprehend their public health benefits.
Every day, Korean Resource Center staff members assist clients who find their Medi-Cal related documents incomprehensible. Korean American seniors will utilize this campaign to educate their peers of their language access rights and invoke a call for action. Each Medi-Cal beneficiary in the state has the right to understand his or her Medi-Cal benefits and insist that documents arrive in the preferred language.
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