FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rita Yoon (323) 644-3880 ext. 273 HEALTH PROGRAMS HELP MOTHERS-TO-BE LOS ANGELES - This Mother's Day, Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. encourages mothers-to-be to check whether they may be eligible for Medi-Cal and AIM. Medi-Cal and AIM are public health programs that may help pay for the cost of pregnancy-related health care. "It is important for women to see a doctor as soon as they think they are pregnant," says Yunkyung Kim, Associate Manager of the Maternal and Child Health Unit at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV). APHCV is a non-profit community health center that provides perinatal care in Los Angeles. "The Medi-Cal and AIM programs can help more underserved, low-income, pregnant women receive the care they need throughout their pregnancies." Medi-Cal provides free or low-cost pregnancy-related health coverage for low-income women, including prenatal care, hospital delivery, and postpartum care. A woman may receive these services from a Medi-Cal doctor of her choice. For women whose incomes are too high to qualify for free Medi-Cal, they may be able to enroll in the Access for Infants & Mothers (AIM) program. AIM provides low-cost health insurance for pregnant women who have moderate incomes. AIM will also cover prenatal care, hospital delivery, and postpartum care. Enrolling in Medi-Cal and AIM will not affect a woman's immigration status, except for long-term care in a skilled nursing facility. "Receiving regular and consistent health care throughout the pregnancy is important for a healthy pregnancy and delivery," says Kim. "It is also just as important that pregnant women eat nutritiously because they are eating for two people - themselves and their babies." Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Food Stamps are two public programs that can help low-income women buy the foods they need. WIC provides low-income pregnant women with special checks called "vouchers" for buying healthy foods. The Food Stamps program can provide low-income families with vouchers to buy food for the entire family. Enrolling in WIC and the Food Stamps Program will not have an effect on immigration status. For questions about which public benefits will not affect immigration status, call the toll-free Tagalog line at 1-800-810-8995. If you have any questions regarding pregnancy tests, family planning, or prenatal care, contact Kultida Arakul at Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. at (323) 664-3880 ext. 259. Asian Pacific Health Care Venture provides free pregnancy tests without an appointment, family planning, and prenatal care by experienced doctors and Tagalog-speaking staff.