Beginning on April 1, residents of California who rely on Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid health care programme, for their medical costs will have to reapply for eligibility and maintain their Medi-Cal coverage.
The COVID Public Health Emergency (PHE) that the federal government proclaimed in 2020 has allowed Medicaid programmes across the country, including Medi-Cal, to do away with the need for yearly eligibility. This indicates that Medicaid recipients have had their medical expenses paid for the last three years without having to go through the yearly renewal process, which might have resulted in their losing their eligibility for Medicaid.
However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which Congress adopted at the close of the previous year, set a March 31 deadline for Medicaid renewals that are automatically renewed.
Who will be impacted by these modifications to Medi-Cal?
This move will have an impact on the millions of people around the country—including the 12 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal—who rely on Medicaid to pay for prescription drugs, necessary medical treatment, and other health care services.
In the 14 months that follow the PHE, 18 million people nationwide could lose their Medicaid coverage, according to a study published at the end of 2022 by the public policy think tank Urban Institute. This could happen if they are found to no longer qualify for Medi-Cal or if they neglect to renew on time. It is possible that the population in California might reach three million.
Redetermination will be necessary for all Medi-Cal beneficiaries, regardless of whether they joined much earlier during the pandemic or had been on the programme for decades. This implies that in order to maintain health care coverage in any capacity, every single Medi-Cal beneficiary needs to be informed about the upcoming changes beginning in April.
To find out what you need to know, keep reading.
Utilising Medi-Cal? Here’s what to anticipate as of April 1st.
According to María Reyes, community health education manager at La Clínica de la Raza, which offers healthcare services to lower-income populations in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano counties, no one will immediately lose their Medi-Cal coverage on April 1.
Rather, that date signifies the beginning of the Medi-Cal reenrollment process.
There will be two options for individuals to renew their benefits when the Medi-Cal renewal waiver expires on March 31: via mail or online at the Medi-Cal website. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that each person’s renewal deadline will vary, according to Reyes.
According to her, the time to renew your individual coverage is determined by your Medi-Cal “anniversary”:
Your anniversary is the date you last renewed your Medi-Cal coverage prior to the pandemic if you enrolled before 2020. If you enrolled after 2020 and haven’t completed the renewal procedure yet, your anniversary is the date you initially applied.
Reyes advises you to find out the precise date of your coverage anniversary because you ought to get a packet in the mail inviting you to renew your policy before then.
Option 1: Use the mail to renew your Medi-Cal coverage
“People will be receiving these packets as their anniversary date approaches,” she explains, noting that one of the packages will contain a letter with details unique to your plan. “You have X days from the date you get this letter to submit your renewal packet and the papers they are requiring from you,” the letter states.
Phased distribution of these packets will occur each month through June 2024. Included in them is an annual redetermination form (PDF) that requests details about a beneficiary’s living arrangements, income, and status as disabled, among other things. Depending on your situation, you can be requested for more documentation.
Reyes stated that there can be a third letter in the mail if a beneficiary misses the second deadline. “If, for some reason, your county office doesn’t get the packet by the deadline, they’ll send another reminder letter letting you know they haven’t received your documents,” Reyes said. She promises that there will be multiple chances to remind individuals of this deadline. “Services won’t be abruptly discontinued,” she declared.
Choose Option 2: Renew Medi-Cal online.
It could occasionally be possible for you to renew online. Counties in the Bay Area utilise one of two renewal portals:
To renew your Medi-Cal if you reside in the counties of Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, or Sonoma, go to MyBenefitsCalWin.
To renew your Medi-Cal if you reside in the counties of Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, or Santa Clara, go to BenefitsCal.
If you reside in a different part of California, find out which website your county uses to renew Medi-Cal.
What happens if it turns out I’m no longer qualified for Medi-Cal?
You will lose your Medi-Cal coverage if you don’t renew your coverage by the deadline (see to Options 1 and 2 in the preceding section) or if it is determined that you are no longer eligible. In that case, you will have more, albeit more expensive, options for government-subsidized health insurance.
According to Yingjia Huang, assistant deputy director for eligibility and health care benefits at the Department of Health Care Services, you will be “automatically” transferred into a comparable plan offered by Covered California if your income makes you ineligible for Medi-Cal any longer. Huang added, “The enrollment notice will be sent to the member by Covered California, informing them of their options and to pay the plan premium. The system will automatically review their eligibility for Covered California.” She emphasised that there will be “no administrative burden on a member.”
Of course, this might come with a new monthly premium that many Medi-Cal recipients aren’t used to paying and might find difficult to afford when their other costs are taken into account.
What occurs if my renewal packet never arrives in the mail?
Reyes is anxious to stress that on April 1, no one’s Medi-Cal coverage will be automatically terminated. “People should start looking for these renewal packages that they will need to complete as of that date,” the speaker stated.
There could be a number of reasons why you might not have received a renewal packet by the time your coverage anniversary arrives:
Your county might be mailing the packet to an old address (especially if you moved during the epidemic), or you might have the incorrect anniversary date on file.
In any scenario, you should have immediate confirmation of your information from your county. This is something you can accomplish online:
To update your Medi-Cal contact information if you reside in the counties of Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, or Sonoma, go to MyBenefitsCalWin.
To update your Medi-Cal contact information if you reside in Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, or Santa Clara counties, go to BenefitsCal.
You can also get in touch with the county office responsible for overseeing Medi-Cal enrollment. Look it up in the list below, by county.
Remind yourself that you are not alone in this.
If you are a carer or parent raising a family by yourself, working several jobs, or taking care of a chronic disease, the Medi-Cal renewal procedure is just one more thing to worry about on an already full plate. Along with this Medi-Cal renewal, you may also be facing a reduction in your CalFresh benefits (commonly known as food stamps or SNAP) beginning in April.
People can maintain their coverage and turn in their renewal packets on time with the assistance of numerous organisations around California. La Clínica de la Raza is one of them; it has established a service that offers one-on-one help to Medi-Cal beneficiaries residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, or Solano counties while they finish the
Reyes from La Clínica stated, “We don’t want people to lose coverage, especially because preventative services are important — particularly for those who have chronic conditions.” “We want to ensure that they won’t be in danger of losing their insurance, being unable to visit their doctor, or being unable to get new prescriptions filled. Thus, it’s critical to act as quickly as feasible.
Call La Clínica de la Raza at (855) 494-4658 if you live in Alameda, Contra Costa, or Solano counties and are on Medi-Cal. Both Spanish and English are available for assistance.
According to Reyes, the social services department of your county can also be a great resource for information about the renewal process; in fact, several counties provide service centres where residents can get in-person assistance with reenrollment inquiries. Locate the social services agency in your county by clicking on the link above.
Tell us: What other information is needed.
At KQED News, we are aware that finding the solutions to problems pertaining to navigating the Bay Area in 2023 can occasionally be challenging. We’ve produced easy-to-read explanations and recommendations on topics like COVID, how to handle harsh winter conditions, and safe demonstration techniques.
Tell us, then: What more information do you require? If you ask us, we might be able to provide you with an online or social media response. Your contributions will strengthen our reporting and assist us in selecting stories for both KQED Public Radio and this website.
