Helpful Information

An advance health care directive is a form you fill out in advance to tell your health care provider, family and friends about the health care you want if you can no longer make decisions for yourself. The directive explains the types of treatment you want or do not want. It also allows you to name a person to be your health care agent. This person can be a spouse, family member, friend or other person you choose. This person can make decisions for you if you can no longer make them for yourself. Your rights as a member of SCFHP apply to this designated health care agent.

At your request, we will send you information about state law regarding advance health care directives, including any changes to the law, within 90 days after the change is effective.

You may contact Customer Service at 1-800-260-2055 for instructions for setting up and using an advance health care directive. You can also download an advance health care directive form here.

Your doctor or health care provider will need approval for most covered services, such as hospitalization and tests.

Before approving services related to your medical condition or treatment, we must have all the facts. Facts include exam and test results. Decisions are made by either a licensed physician or other appropriately qualified health professional (specially trained to treat your condition).

For services that are not urgent, decisions are made within 5 working days from receipt of the request. If you need a decision urgently, please talk to your doctor and a decision can be made within 72 hours from receipt of the request.

Sometimes we need more time to review a pre-approval request. This can happen if we do not have all of the facts or tests needed. If we cannot meet the above time frames, we will let you and the health care provider who requested the service know in writing the date on which your request will be decided.

We will tell your health care provider whether the service is approved or denied within 24 hours after making a decision. If the services are not approved, we will send you and your health care provider a letter within 2 working days after the decision is made. The letter will tell you the reason for the denial and what your rights are to appeal the decision.

Physical access:
SCFHP offices are accessible to people with disabilities. So are many of the offices of plan providers. If you need help finding a plan provider’s office that you can access, please call Customer Service.

Access for the deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired:
SCFHP uses the text telephone device (TTY, also known as TDD) number through the California Relay Services to help callers. To use the TTY/TDD services to talk to us, call 1-800-735-2929 toll-free.

Access for those who are blind or have low vision:
You can get important plan materials in large print, Braille, and computer disk formats. For any of these formats, or for help with reading any of our materials, please call Customer Service.

If you are more comfortable speaking a language other than English, SCFHP Customer Service can help you. Our staff speaks many languages. If we don’t have a person who speaks your language, we have interpreters available by telephone.

You have a right to an interpreter, including a Sign Language interpreter, at no cost to you and available on a 24-hour basis when you receive medical care. You also have a right to ask for face-to-face or telephone interpreter services, and not to use family members, friends, or minors as interpreters, unless you request to do so.

You also have the right to receive member materials in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, depending on the plan you belong to. Please call us to learn if materials are offered in your language.

How can you get an interpreter?

Tell your doctor’s office you’d like one. You can do this when you call to set up your next visit. You can also request an interpreter or translated materials through Customer Service by calling

1-800-260-2055. 

As an SCFHP Member, you have the right to:

• Be treated with respect and courtesy regardless of your gender, culture, language, appearance, sexual orientation, race, disability, or source of payment.
• Be told in a clear way about all health care services available and how to get them.
• Receive written member materials in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese (depending on the plan you are enrolled in), or alternative formats, including Braille, large print and audio format upon request.
• Select a health care provider or clinic as your primary care provider (PCP). Your PCP will provide or arrange for all the health care you need.
• Receive needed and appropriate medical care, including preventive health services and health education.
• Access family planning services, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Services facilities, sexually transmitted disease services, and emergency services outside of the SCFHP network according to federal law.
• Access minor consent services.
• Know and understand your medical condition as diagnosed by your health care provider; know what the health care provider plans to do to treat the condition; know what results you can expect; and know what effects the treatment may have on your daily life.
• Actively take part in decisions about your medical care. If permitted by law, you have the right to refuse or stop treatment.
• Formulate advanced directives.
• Have the meaning and limits of confidentiality explained to you.
• Have your health records kept confidential, except when disclosure is required by law or permitted in writing by you. With adequate notice, you have the right to see your Protected Health Information (PHI), as allowed by law.
• Know that if you must be moved or transferred from one hospital to another, you may receive information about why you need to be moved and about any other choices you may have.
• Receive a second opinion from another plan physician about your diagnosis, the proposed plan of treatment, and other available options.
• Know how to get help and solve problems; know how to file a grievance or appeal with SCFHP; know how to ask for a State Fair Hearing. Understand how to use the grievance or State Fair Hearing process without fear of interruption or loss of health care, or risk of retaliation.
• Take part in establishing SCFHP’s public policy, by attending and/or joining the SCFHP Consumer Advisory Committee and attending any SCFHP Governing Board meeting.
• Have an interpreter who speaks your language (including Sign Language) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no cost to you.
• File a grievance if your cultural and linguistic needs are not met.
• Disenroll from SCFHP.
• Be free from any form of restraint or seclusion used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation.
• Freedom to exercise these rights without adversely affecting how you are treated by SCFHP, plan providers, or the State.

American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) have the right to choose to receive primary care services at Indian Health Service Facilities or Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or from any other plan provider within SCFHP’s geographic service area (Santa Clara County). AIANs also have the right to stay in regular Medi‑Cal and not enroll in a managed care plan.

As an SCFHP Member, you have the responsibility to:

• Carefully read all SCFHP materials as soon as you enroll so you understand how to use our services.
• Ask questions when you do not understand something about your coverage or medical care.
• Follow the rules of SCFHP membership as explained in your plan’s Evidence of Coverage document.
• Be responsible for your own health and the health of your children.
• Talk to your health care provider so you can develop a strong relationship based on trust and cooperation.
• Call your health care provider when you need routine or urgent health care.
• Report unexpected changes in your health to your PCP.
• Ask questions about your medical condition. Make sure you understand the answers, and what you are supposed to do.
• Follow the treatment plan your health care provider gives you, and know what might happen if you do not follow the treatment plan.
• Make and be on time for medical appointments. Let your health care provider know at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment if you need to cancel.
• Tell SCFHP about any changes in: address; phone number; family status, such as marriage, divorce, etc.; and changes in any other health care coverage you might have. Tell us about these changes as soon as you know them or within 10 days of these changes.
• Call or write SCFHP as soon as possible if you feel you were improperly billed or if the bill is wrong.
• Treat all SCFHP personnel and health care providers with respect and courtesy.
• Submit requests for claims reimbursement for covered services within the required time period.
• Be honest in your dealings with SCFHP and its plan providers. Do not commit fraud or theft or do anything that threatens the property of SCFHP or the property or safety of any of its representatives, plan providers, plan providers’ employees, or agents.

We try to make it as easy as possible for you to keep your coverage. Follow these three easy steps to make sure your health care coverage is not interrupted:

1. Watch for a renewal letter in the mail. This letter will ask you to fill out a renewal form. The letter may come from Medi-Cal or Santa Clara Family Health Plan.
2. Fill out the renewal form and return it as soon as possible.
3. Let us know if you move. Call SCFHP (Healthy Kids members) or the County of Santa Clara Department of Benefits and Services (Medi-Cal members) to let us know when your address or telephone number has changed. The County of Santa Clara Department of Benefits and Services’ telephone number is: 1-877-962-3633.

As an important step in receiving health care from your doctor, SCFHP asks our new and current members to complete the Staying Healthy Assessment (SHA). The SHA is a set of questions that allows your doctor to understand your health and better help you decide what types of services you may need.

Based on your age, the form asks questions on topics such as the types of food you eat, how much you exercise, and if you smoke.  Some of the questions may be personal. You may choose not to answer any questions if you don’t want to. If you choose to answer a question, be honest and as complete as possible.

It should only take a few minutes to fill out the form. You may fill out a SHA at your doctor’s office or fill out the form at home and take it with you to your appointment. You (or your child) do not have to be sick to schedule this doctor visit.

You can print out a Staying Healthy Assessment form from the Member Forms & Documents page. For forms in languages other than English, Spanish, or Vietnamese, go to the Californa Department of Health Care Services website and view their Staying Healthy Assessment page.

Your responses are confidential. The completed SHA will be kept in your medical record.

New Members
Within the first 4 months of becoming a member, schedule an appointment with your doctor to complete the SHA. You (or your child) do not have to be sick to schedule this doctor visit.

Current Members
If you are a current Member and have not completed an SHA form, or have not completed one recently, please schedule a preventive care visit and complete the SHA as part of that visit.

Newborns, Toddlers, Kids, and Teen Members
Parents with children under 18 years of age should complete a form for your child on the first scheduled doctor visit and again when your child reaches a new SHA age group. The SHA Periodicity Table below shows the SHA age groups.

Adult and Senior Members
Adult and Senior Members, 18 years of age and older, should complete a new SHA form every 3 to 5 years.

SHA Periodicity Table

SHA Refusal
As a member, you have the right to refuse, decline or skip any or all parts of the SHA.  Your doctor will ask you to sign the refusal document and this document will be kept in your medical record.

If you have any questions about SHA, call your doctor or SCFHP Member Services at 1-800-260-2055.

Example Staying Healthy Assessment Form
This is an example of a Staying Healthy Assessment: