Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program) is a publicly-funded, comprehensive health insurance program for Californians with low or no incomes and high health care needs.
You must meet two tests to be eligible for Medi-Cal: first, you must fit within one of the following eligibility categories, and you must also have very low or no income. People with higher incomes may qualify but must pay a high deductible (called a Share of Cost) each month before Medi-Cal will cover any expenses in that month.
Medi-Cal Eligibility Categories
| People with serious health problems | Infants, Children & their Caretakers |
|---|---|
| Seniors (65 or older) | Children (under 21) |
| People who are blind or have a disabling condition | Pregnant women |
| People with tuberculosis | Adults between 21 and 65 years old, if they are caring for minor children and have very low incomes |
| People who need dialysis | |
| People in nursing homes | |
| Women with breast or cervical cancer |
Income limits: The amount of income and assets you are allowed to have depends on your family size and eligibility category.
There are Medi-Cal programs for pregnant women and children ages 0-19 that do not count assets and resources. For these programs it does not matter if you own property or have money in the bank.
If you meet any of the eligibility categories listed above and need health care you cannot afford, you should apply for Medi-Cal, even if you think you make too much money or have money in the bank.
How to apply for Medi-Cal:
- Download a Medi-Cal Application Form here, have one mailed to you by calling your county social services office, or pick one up from a local hospital or health clinic.
- Fill out the application form and gather the supporting documents. If you need help filling out the form, call your county social services agency or Health Consumer Center.
- If you do not have all the documents requested on the application, or are not sure what you need, send what you have; you can send the rest later.
- Make a photocopy of your application and of all the supporting documents. Put them in a file marked Medi-Cal. Put every piece of paper you get about your application in that file. Keep written notes of all phone calls about your application in the file, too. This will help if you have to appeal or if your application gets lost.
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Return your completed application by mail (take it to the Post Office and send it Registered Mail so you have proof you sent it) or in person to the nearest social services office in your county.
How long does it take to be approved?
Once you send your application to your county social services agency, in person or by mail, the agency is supposed to determine your eligibility for Medi-Cal within 45 days and tell you in writing of that decision. It can be helpful to call the eligibility worker assigned to your application once in a while to check on the progress of your application, and to make sure s/he has all the information s/he needs.
Children who apply by sending in the joint Medi-Cal/Healthy Families mail-in application can get Medi-Cal even faster, usually within 10 days.
In case of emergency: If you need Medi-Cal to get treatment for a severe health problem, where lack of treatment will kill or disable you, ask your caseworker for Presumptive Disability.