The County of San Mateo, or San Mateo County, is located in the state of California with an administrative center in Redwood City and the population of 764,000. What is so exciting about San Mateo is that the county is part of the Silicon Valley, a global center for technologies and innovations. However, today, we’ll focus on the medical sector of San Mateo. Below, you can find the respective overview: facts, numbers and perspectives.
Public health programs and medical sector of San Mateo County are administered by San Mateo County Health department. County Health is responsible for overall managing the healthcare environment of the county and regulates risks and harms to achieve a healthier county community and prevent diseases before they spread. In its advocacy for community protection, County Health consists of a number of thematic teams and units, including Aging And Adult Services, Behavioral Health And Recovery Services, Correctional Health Services, Emergency Medical Services, Family Health Services, Health Administration, Health Coverage Unit, Health Information Technology, as well as San Mateo Medical Center hospital and clinics.
San Mateo Medical Center is a public hospital that offers a network of outpatient clinics throughout the county and runs an acute-care hospital in San Mateo. Other clinics that operate for the residents of San Mateo County are the following:
- Kaiser Permanente: Redwood City and South San Francisco
- Mills-Peninsula Health Services: Burlingame and San Mateo
- San Mateo Medical Center: Hospital in San Mateo, clinics in Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Redwood City, South San Francisco
- Sequoia Hospital: Redwood City
- Seton Medical Center Daly City and M
Homeless, uninsured or insured with Medi-Cal, Medi-Care or San Mateo County health insurance may also take advantage of the Mobile Clinic. The Mobile Clinic van provides services across the county, inter alia, illness and injury treatment, referrals, incl. for mental health services, blood pressure, sugar for diabetes, tuberculosis, pregnancy screenings, vaccinations, family planning counselling, needle exchange. There is no need to make an appointment in advance, and patients may just drop by and receive care as relevant.
As we all know, what keeps us healthy when we need it most is insurance. However, around 8 % of the American population were not insured as of 2021. San Mateo County authorities consider that uninsured are those who don’t have enough information in this regard. Thus, County Health facilitates different types of subsidized programs for low-income San Mateo residents. For example, Medi-Cal is a part of the federal Medicaid health coverage program that provides “no-cost” or “share of cost” medical aid depending on age and income. Generally, Medi-Cal covers a set of medical services called Essential Health Benefits. The latter cover outpatient services, such as a check-up at a doctor’s office, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health services, treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, prescription drugs, laboratory services, chronic disease management, paediatric services, etc. Starting from May 1, 2022, Californians regardless of their immigration issues at the age of 50 and older and who meet the Medi-Cal eligibility criteria may apply for full-range Medi-Cal. Covered California envisages tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, in total four levels of health coverage, for adult residents of San Mateo. Medicare aims at people 65 years old and older or individual under 65 with a disability.
If you don’t qualify for insurance and are 19 years old and older, there is still a chance to get affordable medical services via San Mateo County Access and Care for Everyone (ACE) irrespective of your immigration or employment status or medical issues. The ACE program requires an annual fee of $360 per individual that can be abolished for populations with chronic issues or financial difficulties.
Going from facts to perspectives, it is worth mentioning that San Mateo County offers appealing health insurance options for small business owners. It is Covered California for Small Businesses, which can provide your team with affordable plans with the most comparable pricing.
There are also ongoing programs for safe waste disposal from medicines to used oil, pollution prevention interventions, immunization and vaccination campaigns, smoke-free environment efforts as well other initiatives to ensure healthy housing and environment in all possible aspects of our lives. If you have encountered any issue, you may also report a problem to the health authorities and get a piece of advice.
Bottomline
The medical sector is of fundamental importance for any community. San Mateo County is very well positioned to ensure high quality medical services for all the residents of the county irrespective of their social status.