Many Californians have difficulties accessing home healthcare services due to lack of insurance, limited coverage provided by insurance companies and decreased expenditures by Medicare which may cause a critical gap in their care and negatively alter their recovery. The Jewish Free Loan Association (JFLA) is addressing this problem by creating the Short-term Home Healthcare Loan Fund with the help of a $520,000 grant from the California Endowment, the state’s largest health foundation. The fund will expand access to home healthcare services by providing interest-free loans to un- and under-insured individuals and families in Los Angeles County who are recovering from surgery, illness or injury. JFLA plans to allocate $1.5 million to the home healthcare loan program. Funds from the California Endowment will support start-up activities for the program and help establish the loan fund. A patient will be referred to the program if their insurance or income does not cover the cost of services critical to their recovery. To qualify for an interest-free loan, an applicant must be a permanent resident of the Greater Los Angeles area; have a steady source of income exceeding their monthly expenses; and secure one or two co-signers for the loan. The loan application is a one-page form of basic financial information and favorable terms for repayment will be arranged according to the individual needs of the client. Established in 1904, JFLA offers interest-free loans on a non-sectarian basis to individuals and families whose needs are urgent and who may not qualify through normal financial resources. For more information, call (818) 464-3331 or visit via the Internet www.jfla.org.
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