L.A. Care launches $10 million relief fund to aid providers and community organizations affected by recent wildfires

Earlier this year, the wildfires in Los Angeles County devastated thousands of homes and resulted in more than two dozen fatalities. 

Since the outbreak of the first fire, L.A. Care Health Plan has been focused on ensuring displaced members receive the necessary healthcare, along with additional resources and support to navigate this difficult crisis. 

On Monday, L.A. Care’s Board of Governors approved up to $10 million for the L.A. Care Network and Community Relief Fund to assist providers in its network, county agencies and community organizations as they rebuild after catastrophic losses. In addition to the financial support, L.A. Care has also suspended authorization requirements for hospital discharge-related services.

“L.A. Care’s emergency response teams have been collaborating with provider partners and community stakeholders from the beginning of the fire emergency to ensure they could serve our members. The health plan is already supporting providers by allocating resources to address staffing shortages and supply needs in the most impacted areas,” said Martha Santana-Chin, L.A. Care CEO. “This additional funding will help speed up the recovery for those who are facing serious challenges. Ultimately, it means continued access to care and support services for the vulnerable residents that L.A. Care serves.”

The wildfires have also deeply affected L.A. Care employees. At least nine have lost their homes, dozens were forced to evacuate, and several hundred others experienced disruptions, including power outages, wind damage and poor air quality.

In response, the L.A. Care Board of Governors has also authorized resources to support their recovery during this challenging time. Many of the tools had already been implemented. The L.A. Care Wildfire Employee Assistance Program offers an additional 40 hours of emergency paid time off for those who lost their home, increases the amount of paid volunteer time off for those who want to lend support to those directly impacted by the fires from 16 hours to 40 per hour and allows employees to donate their own paid time off hours to associates dealing with fire losses.

“L.A. Care understands that without the appropriate assistance, there is a risk that employees will struggle with instability, be unable to support our members and providers and potentially be unable to continue their important work with L.A. Care,” said Santana-Chin. “We value our employees and their commitment to L.A. Care’s mission of providing high-quality care to the county’s low-income populations, so we want to ensure that they can continue to help fulfill that mission.”

L.A. Care has also been taking a number of steps to support its members, providers and the community impacted by the fires with donations, transportation, behavioral services, out-of-network pharmacies and other much-needed resources.