Caring for Indigent Clients

California’s counties provide health care to individuals who are considered “medically indigent” because they lack health care coverage and are ineligible for assistance under the Medi-Cal program. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health serves a growing number of individuals with mental illness who are medically indigent.

Indigent clients may be unemployed because of their mental illness, or may be employed yet earning an income that is below the level needed to pay the high cost of their medications. We are committed to providing mental health services to individuals whose mental illness impairs their ability to function in the community, regardless of their ability to pay. Due to reductions in funding for mental health services over the years, it has become critically important to find ways to provide needed services more efficiently and productively.

The information provided here will help mental health providers to both establish benefits for medically indigent consumers and assist them in accessing the medications that are vital to their treatment and recovery.

Establishing Benefits describes how to establish eligibility for benefits and determine which indigent consumers receive our ongoing clinical services.

Accessing Medication describes our Indigent Medication Program, including the Program’s application procedures.