Information For Patients

If you are a prospective patient, below is information around qualifications and typical procedures.

Do you live in Orange County and need a surgery?

• First you must visit a community clinic and be seen by a medical provider
• The medical provider will then determine if you are eligible to be referred and then send the completed referral form to AccessOC.
• An AccessOC, Southern California, representative will call and screen you to make sure you qualify for the program.

In order to qualify, a patient:

• must live in Orange County
• must not have health insurance or Worker’s Compensation coverage, spousal/partner coverage
• must be ineligible for any publicly sponsored programs Medi-Cal, Medicare, MSI, Healthy Families or California Children’s Services throughout the entire process; if patient becomes eligible during their time on the waitlist or after becoming an AccessOC patient, the patient will be referred to social services for care
• must earn less than 250% of the Federal Poverty Level- $26,000 for individual $53,000 for a family of four
• must be referred by a doctor or nurse for a medically necessary, low-risk, outpatient surgery
• must not require ongoing care by surgeon for successful recovery (referring clinic maintains responsibility for care beyond surgery, after post-op appointment)

Typical Procedures

AccessOC, Southern California, coordinates low-risk, outpatient procedures with Orange County hospitals and outpatient facilities.  Acceptance for surgery is the surgeon’s decision; wait time depends on volunteer surgeon availability. Common procedures provided through AccessOC include (others may be available):

• Cholecystectomy
• Hernia repair
• Lipoma & cyst excision
• Minor Gynecological
• Ear, Nose and Throat
• Ophthalmology, including cataract and pterygium
• Orthopedic
• Urology
• Gastroenterology