The Complete Guide to Hidden Benefits: 25 Life-Changing Services
- 9 hours ago
- 9 min read
Your Medi-Cal Plan Covers Way More Than You Think—And Help Is Hope Can Help You Unlock Everything
You have Medi-Cal. You think it covers doctor visits, emergency rooms, and maybe prescriptions.
You have no idea what you're actually entitled to.
If you have Health Net or Health Plan of San Joaquin, your Medi-Cal plan through CalAIM covers 25+ services that most people never access because they simply don't know these benefits exist. We're talking about services that could transform your life: housing, recovery support, therapy, transportation, food, mental health care, dental work, and so much more.
The problem? Nobody tells you about these benefits. Hospital discharge planners don't mention them. Your doctor's office doesn't advertise them. Your insurance company isn't incentivized to help you access them.
That's where Help Is Hope comes in.
We're CalAIM and Enhanced Care Management specialists. We know these benefits inside and out. We help Central Valley Medi-Cal members access every single service they're entitled to—and we coordinate them all so your life actually stabilizes.
Here's the complete breakdown of 25 hidden Medi-Cal benefits you likely have access to:
HOUSING & STABILITY SERVICES
1. Housing Transition Navigation Services
Someone who actually knows how to get you housed. Your navigator accompanies you to apartments, negotiates with landlords, helps you navigate paperwork, and advocates for you every step of the way. Result: 3x higher rates of securing stable housing within 90 days compared to navigating alone. Complete our intake form to get started.
2. Housing Deposits & Furnishings
Your Medi-Cal plan will pay your security deposit, first and last month's rent, utility deposits, bed, refrigerator, kitchen table—everything you need to move into your own place. Up to $7,500 in move-in support. Reality Check: 68% of homeless people approved for housing never move in because they can't afford upfront costs. This benefit solves that problem.
3. Housing Tenancy & Sustaining Services
Getting housed is half the battle. Staying housed is where people fail. This service provides ongoing support—budgeting help, landlord mediation, utility assistance, crisis intervention—to prevent eviction and keep you stably housed. Fact: 85% of members receiving tenancy support maintain stable housing, compared to 40% without support.
4. Short-Term Post-Hospitalization Housing
You're discharged from a hospital or treatment facility with nowhere to go. Your insurance provides up to 6 months of safe housing with 24-hour support, medication management, and case management while you recover and transition to permanent housing. Why it matters: 65% lower readmission rates for members receiving post-hospitalization housing support.
5. Asthma Remediation
Your home environment is triggering asthma attacks. HEPA filters, mold removal, pest control, air purifiers, carpet replacement, dehumidifiers—up to $7,500—all covered. No more emergency room visits because your apartment is making you sick. Reality: Environmental factors trigger 70% of asthma attacks; removing those triggers reduces ER visits by 60%.
MENTAL HEALTH & RECOVERY SUPPORT
6. Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Services
Support from someone who's actually been through what you're going through. Certified Peer Support Specialists with lived experience of recovery provide one-on-one coaching, help navigate systems, build recovery plans, and be available when you're struggling. Game-changer: 24% more likely to achieve recovery goals when receiving peer support compared to clinical treatment alone.
Help Is Hope Connection: Our care team employs trained Peer Support Specialists ready to walk with you on your recovery journey. Book a session with our team.
7. Sobering Centers
You're under the influence and in crisis. Instead of the ER or jail, you go to a Sobering Center—24/7, completely free, safe space with medical monitoring, meals, withdrawal management, substance use counseling, and connection to treatment. Why this matters: 40% reduction in ER visits related to intoxication in cities with Sobering Centers; 35% reduction in public intoxication arrests.
8. Recuperative Care (Medical Respite)
You're homeless and recovering from surgery or acute illness. You need a safe place to heal. Medi-Cal provides up to 6 months of residential care with 24-hour nursing, wound care, medication management, meals, and discharge planning. Critical fact: Without safe recovery housing, surgical complication rates exceed 70%; with recuperative care, they drop below 15%.
9. Substance Use Disorder Residential Treatment
Your addiction requires residential treatment—detox, 90-day programs, medication-assisted treatment, intensive outpatient services, narcotics treatment. No waiting lists. No bed limits. No denials. Your Medi-Cal plan covers all levels of care. Evidence: Residential treatment success rates of 60-80% when combined with ongoing support.
CAREGIVER & DISABILITY SUPPORT
10. Respite Care
You're a family caregiver providing unpaid care 24/7. You're exhausted. Your health is suffering. Respite care gives you up to 14 days annually of temporary relief—someone else provides care while you rest, work, attend to your own health. Impact: 40% reduction in stress and depression for caregivers accessing respite care; they continue caregiving 2-3 years longer.
11. Day Habilitation Programs
Your family member with developmental disabilities needs more than sitting at home. Day programs provide skill-building, therapy coordination, recreation, employment training, and community inclusion. Outcome: 78% of family members report reduced stress and improved quality of life when their family member attends day programs.
12. Nursing Facility Transition/Diversion to Assisted Living
You're in a nursing home and want out—or facing institutional care and want to avoid it. This service helps you transition to assisted living, residential care, or community living with ongoing support. Reality: 40-50% of nursing home residents could live more independently but don't because they don't know it's possible. 50% of participants remain in community after one year.
MATERNAL & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
13. Doula Services
From pregnancy through 12 months postpartum, a trained doula provides prenatal counseling, continuous labor and birth support, and postpartum recovery assistance. Proven outcomes: Doula support reduces cesarean rates by 15-25%, reduces epidural use by 15-20%, shortens labor by 2-3 hours, improves breastfeeding success, and addresses racial disparities in maternal health.
14. Lactation Consultant & Breastfeeding Support
Breastfeeding problems are incredibly common and almost always fixable. Certified lactation consultants solve latch problems, milk supply issues, breast pain, and infant feeding challenges. Evidence: 85% of breastfeeding problems that cause mothers to quit can be resolved with proper lactation support.
CARE COORDINATION & COMMUNITY HEALTH
15. Enhanced Care Management (ECM)
You have multiple complex problems—housing instability, mental health issues, substance use, high healthcare utilization, disability, incarceration transition, or prenatal/postpartum needs. A dedicated Lead Care Manager coordinates ALL your services: housing, health, mental health, substance use treatment, benefits, community resources—everything. Impact: 40% fewer emergency department visits, 35% fewer hospitalizations, 60% better treatment engagement.
Help Is Hope's Core Service: Learn more about our Enhanced Care Management and how we coordinate your complete life. Book a session with our care team.
16. Community Health Worker (CHW) Services
Health support from someone who speaks your language, understands your culture, and works in your community. CHWs provide health education, navigation, advocacy, and resource connection tailored to your community. Results: 25% better medication adherence, 30% higher preventive care engagement, 20% better chronic disease management.
SENSORY & REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
17. Vision Benefits (Eyeglasses, Contacts, Low Vision Services)
One comprehensive eye exam every 24 months, eyeglasses once every 24 months, contact lenses for medical conditions, low vision services, and artificial eye services. Most people assume Medi-Cal doesn't cover glasses. You're wrong—and you could be seeing clearly right now.
18. Hearing Services & Hearing Aids
Comprehensive audiology services including hearing exams, hearing aid evaluation, and hearing aids up to $1,510 annually. Why it matters: Untreated hearing loss increases depression, isolation, falls, and cognitive decline by 20-40%; with hearing aids, members report 40% improvement in social engagement and 35% reduction in depression.
19. Speech, Occupational & Physical Therapy
Unlimited therapy services (no session caps) as long as you're making clinical progress. For stroke recovery, post-surgical rehabilitation, developmental conditions, managing disabilities. Key difference: Medi-Cal covers ongoing therapy based on clinical progress, not arbitrary insurance company limits.
20. Acupuncture & Chiropractic Services
Up to 2 visits monthly for chronic pain management without opioids. Acupuncture and chiropractic treatment treat back pain, neck pain, migraines, joint pain, and nausea—often as effectively as opioids but without addiction risk. Reality: These therapies reduce opioid prescriptions by 30-50%.
21. Podiatry & Diabetic Foot Care
Preventive foot care that identifies and treats problems before they become infections and amputations. For members with diabetes, foot care education, diabetic shoes, and orthotics. Critical fact: One lower-limb amputation costs $30,000-$60,000 and devastates quality of life; preventive podiatry costs $500-$2,000 annually and prevents 80-90% of diabetic complications.
TRANSPORTATION ACCESS
22. Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
Your medical or physical condition prevents you from using regular transportation. Door-to-door wheelchair-accessible transportation to medical appointments with driver assistance. Why it matters: 20-30% of missed appointments are due to transportation barriers; members with NEMT attend 85% of appointments compared to 60% without.
23. Non-Medical Transportation (NMT)
You can't afford transportation to medical appointments. Your plan reimburses gas mileage, bus passes, taxi vouchers, or train tickets. You attest you have no other way to get there; your plan covers it. It's that simple.
DENTAL & NUTRITION
24. Denti-Cal Adult Dental Benefits
Comprehensive coverage including exams, cleanings, fluoride, fillings, root canals, crowns, and complete dentures—often overlooked but life-changing for members with missing teeth. Important 2026 Update: Coverage changes July 1, 2026 for adults with certain immigration statuses. If this affects you, schedule all dental work before that date.
25. Medically Tailored Meals
Professionally prepared, delivered meals designed for your specific medical condition (diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, COPD) if you have food insecurity or housing instability. Impact: 20-30% better disease management, 25% fewer hospitalizations, significantly better nutritional status. Cost savings: $3,500 per member annually in prevented complications and emergency care.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR THESE SERVICES?
These benefits exist specifically for people in these situations:
Experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness
Fleeing domestic violence
High emergency department use
Severe mental illness
Substance use disorder
At risk for institutionalization
Currently in nursing facilities
Intellectual or developmental disabilities
Transitioning from incarceration
Prenatal or postpartum
Children in foster care or California Children's Services
If any of these describe your situation, you likely qualify for Enhanced Care Management and multiple Community Supports.
THE REAL PROBLEM: NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THESE BENEFITS
The system is intentionally complicated. Your insurance company isn't going to call you and say, "Hey, we'll pay for housing, therapy, meals, and transportation—just ask!"
You have to know to ask. And most people don't.
The result?
People stay homeless even though housing assistance is covered
People die from preventable complications instead of accessing recuperative care
People suffer untreated hearing loss instead of getting hearing aids
People skip medical appointments because they don't know transportation is covered
People live in pain instead of accessing therapy with no session caps
People struggle alone instead of accessing peer support
This is where Help Is Hope changes everything.
HOW HELP IS HOPE UNLOCKS THESE BENEFITS FOR YOU
We're CalAIM and Enhanced Care Management specialists in the Central Valley. We know these 25+ benefits inside and out. We know which services are available in your county. We know how to connect you with partner providers who deliver them.
Most importantly, we coordinate everything so your life actually stabilizes.
Here's How It Works:
Step 1: Complete Our Intake Form Tell us about your situation—housing, health, mental health, substance use, disabilities, transportation barriers, anything affecting your stability. We listen. We don't judge.
Step 2: Assessment & EligibilityOur team assesses which benefits you qualify for and creates a plan to access them systematically.
Step 3: Connection & CoordinationWe connect you with partner providers for each service and coordinate them all so nothing falls through the cracks. Your housing support coordinates with your mental health treatment. Your therapy coordinates with your substance use recovery. Your nutrition supports your diabetes management.
Step 4: Ongoing SupportWe stay with you. We follow up. We troubleshoot when things aren't working. We adjust as your needs change.
Two Ways to Get Started:
1. Book a Session with Our Care Team Connect directly with our Enhanced Care and Community Support specialists. Discuss your situation. Learn which benefits apply to you. Start your coordination plan.
2. Complete Our Intake Form Tell us what you need. We'll assess eligibility and reach out to coordinate next steps.
3. Learn More About Our Services Explore how our Enhanced Care Management model coordinates all these benefits into one comprehensive support system.
WHAT HELP IS HOPE MEMBERS ARE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW
"I didn't know any of this was covered. Now I have housing, I'm seeing a therapist, I'm getting foot care for my diabetes, and someone's actually helping me coordinate it all. My life is completely different." – Marcus, Stanislaus County
"They helped me understand what my Medi-Cal plan actually covers. Now my kids have somewhere stable to live, I'm in recovery with peer support, and we're getting medically tailored meals that fit my diabetes. This is real support." – Sarah, San Joaquin County
"I was in the nursing home thinking this was permanent. They connected me to transition services, helped me move to assisted living, and now I have so much more independence and quality of life. I didn't even know this was possible." – Robert, Merced County
THE BOTTOM LINE
Your Medi-Cal plan covers 25+ services designed to transform lives. Housing. Recovery. Therapy. Meals. Transportation. Dental. Mental health. All covered. All designed for people in your situation.
The system just doesn't tell you.
Help Is Hope tells you. Help Is Hope connects you. Help Is Hope coordinates everything so your life actually stabilizes.
You're not supposed to navigate this alone. You're not supposed to know all the obscure benefits by yourself. You're not supposed to coordinate 25 different services independently.
That's our job.
Book a session with our care team and discover which of these 25 benefits you can access right now.
Learn more about Enhanced Care Management and how we coordinate your path to stability.
Help Is Hope 140 Calaveras Ave, Modesto, CA 95354Serving Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Merced Counties
Help Is Hope specializes in Enhanced Care Management and CalAIM Community Supports for Medi-Cal members experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use recovery, disabilities, and complex social needs. We coordinate housing, health care, mental health, substance use treatment, benefits, and community resources so you can focus on your recovery and stability.
Hope is not a luxury. It is a lifeline.
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