Health

The Health Consumer Center at CCLS helps people get, keep, and use their health insurance coverage. If you have a health-related problem, we may be able to help you. We work with our clients to help ensure insurance companies, doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers, are not creating unlawful barriers to access to healthcare. We assist people who are being harassed or sued for medical debt, advising our clients on their options, working with debt collectors, or going to court as needed. CCLS also helps with Medi-Cal (including Medi-Cal Estate Recovery), Medicare, and Covered California issues.

Get more information by calling our Health Consumer Center at 1-800-464-3111 or find health resources at LawHelpCA.org and HealthConsumer.org.

You will get a letter in the mail. The letter will tell you if your Medi-Cal coverage was renewed automatically or if your county needs more information to renew your Medi-Cal. If you receive a renewal packet or a letter asking for more information, you may submit the information by mail, phone, in person, or online. Counties will mail you a letter about your Medi-Cal eligibility. You may need to complete a renewal form. The letter from your county should arrive around the same time as when you have received similar letters in past years. For example, if your Medi-Cal renewal was due in April in past years, you should watch for a letter from your county in the two months before April.

Medi-Cal is a health care insurance program for low-income individuals who live in California. Other states call their program Medicaid. You must financially qualify for Medi-Cal. Most single individuals will qualify for Medi-Cal if their income is under $1,564 per month. Most couples will qualify if their income is under $2,196 per month. If you have disabilities, your income can be slightly higher.

As of July 1, 2022, you can qualify for Medi-Cal even if you have assets. The state moved the Medi-Cal asset limit from $2,000 to $130,000 for a single individual and from $3,000 to $195,000 for a couple.

If you need health insurance, you should apply right away. They will screen you for all of the Medi-Cal programs and put you in the best one for your family. You can apply for Medi-Cal at your county welfare office or online.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the county will not stop your Medi-Cal benefits even if your income goes up until March 31, 2023. It is unlikely that the County will take action on your case until after your next redetermination. We do not expect to see terminations until July 1, 2023. Visit DHCS' website for more information on how to keep your coverage.

You have the right to appeal the county’s action and have a hearing before an independent hearing officer. If you appeal the notice before the date of the change in your Medi-Cal, the county must not make the change until the hearing officer decides on your appeal. Even if you did not request a hearing before your benefits change, you still have 90 days from the date of the notice to appeal.

Once you appeal, there will be a hearing scheduled to give you a chance to explain why your Medi-Cal should not stop or change and for the judge to decide if the county is right or wrong. If the hearing officer decides you are right, he can order the county to continue your Medi-Cal or to recalculate your share of the cost. Contact us at 1(800)464-3111 if you would like assistance with your appeal

(Note-calling our office does not guarantee that a CCLS advocate will represent you at hearing).

More Info: You can find out more information about your Medi-Cal rights and the hearing process at the Department of Health Care Services.

Yes. Starting on January 1, 2023, people who have Medicare and fee-for-service Medi-Cal will be required to enroll in a Medi-Cal managed care plan. Notices went out in November and December 2022. You should be able to see all of your Medicare providers as normal. Starting January 1st, your providers will bill a Medi-Cal managed care plan instead of fee-for-service Medi-Cal. Your providers can still bill the Medi-Cal managed care plan even if they are not contracted with that plan.

You can call us if your doctor says that they can no longer see you, cancels your appointment, or sends you a bill for services.

First, you must complain to your health plan. You can call your health plan’s customer service line and request to file a grievance. They should give you a confirmation number. If the plan does not respond to your grievance within 30 days or denies your grievance, you can elevate your appeal to the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC).

If your plan is regulated by the DMHC, you can file a request for an Independent Medical Review (IMR). An IMR is an independent review of your medical records and your doctor’s request to determine if your plan should cover the service. DMHC processes most IMRs within 30 days.

If you are on Medi-Cal, you might consider filing an appeal to the state fair hearing office.

More Info: Review of decisions under your health plan can be very complicated. You should contact the CCLS Health Consumer Center so you can talk to a CCLS advocate for an individualized assessment of your case.

Many non-urgent, non-essential, or elective procedures and appointments have been postponed or moved to telehealth mode pursuant to public health guidance in order to preserve critical healthcare resources and limit the spread of coronavirus. However, urgent appointments, such as cancer treatment, acute emergency procedures, and pregnancy-related services, should proceed. If you have had an appointment canceled or postponed and your medical need is urgent, you can contact us for assistance with getting your appointment rescheduled.