Free Medi-Cal enrollment help available Saturday at Fresno fairgrounds

Central San Joaquin Valley residents can get free help enrolling in Medi-Cal and other programs for lower-income families at a We Connect 10-Year Anniversary Event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Fresno Fairgrounds, 1121 S. Chance Ave.

The event will be in the Commerce & Agriculture Buildings.

Covered California’s open-enrollment period is closed, but Medi-Cal is open year round. The We Connect event, as part of a larger Health4All Kids effort, is focusing on Medi-Cal’s expansion for undocumented immigrants under 19 years old. Immigrant and mixed-status families will receive free assistance enrolling their children into restricted Medi-Cal, prior to May’s Medi-Cal expansion.

Free tax preparation for those who earned less than $62,000 in 2015 will also be available to help residents meet the tax deadline and maximize their refunds through California’s new Earned Income Tax Credit program. Some individuals and families who qualify for the federal tax credit may also now qualify at the state level. Other resources will include assistance with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, medical and dental screenings, CalFresh enrollment, and a healthy food giveaway.

We Connect is celebrating 10 years of health care enrollment and resource fairs statewide. The event is offered through The California Endowment in partnership with Fresno Building Healthy Communities, Central California Legal Services, Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative, Clinica Sierra Vista, the Mexican consulate in Fresno, Fresno Immigrant Youth in Action, Immigrant Legal Resource Center and United Way Fresno and Madera Counties.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Free Medi-Cal enrollment help available Saturday at Fresno fairgrounds."