Solano County opens centralized Benefits Action Center 6/30/2008

County opens centralized Benefits Action Center 6/30/2008

The Solano County Benefits Action Center is now open for business.

One phone call to (800) 400-6001 connects people receiving Medi-Cal and Food Stamp benefits to a caseworker who can provide responses to questions and make adjustments to their case. The Benefits Action Center (BAC) is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The new telephone service center will increase the recipient’s access to information and reduce the time it takes staff to provide services,” said Christiana Smith, Health and Social Services deputy director for Employment and Eligibility Services division.

Instead of having to contact a specific caseworker, recipients can call the BAC and connect with a pool of caseworkers who can assist them. This will provide more immediate responses to questions, as well as reduce the need for recipients to wait for a return phone call.

This is part of new business model transformation that the division has been developing over the past year. The BAC was developed as a more efficient way to handle the needs of current Medi-Cal and Food Stamps clients over the phone and by mail.

“The input of frontline staff has ensured this new Benefits Action Center is a convenient resource to clients, providing them a place for ‘one-stop shopping.’ They can ask questions about services, renew their benefits, make changes to their case, or inquire about the status of their case easily right over the phone,” Smith said.

People receiving cash aid (CalWORKs or General Assistance) should still contact their assigned caseworker. Seniors and people with disabilities served by the Older and Disabled Adult Services Division will also continue to be served by an assigned caseworker.

New applications for Medi-Cal and Food Stamps will still be taken in person at 355 Tuolumne St. in Vallejo, 275 Beck Ave. in Fairfield and 354 Parker St. in Vacaville.

For more information on the BAC, call 800-400-6001 or call 211 after business hours.