20 Mar Renew Your Medi-Cal

It will affect on your Medicare, too, if you don’t renew Medi-Cal
Too keep your benefits, check mails carefully and send redetermination form accordingly

With the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Medi-Cal renewal/redetermination and eligibility verification has returned to pre-pandemic times. To keep Medi-Cal, beneficiaries must pay attention and take action.

According to Kheir Clinic (CEO Erin Pak), the Medi-Cal annual renewal requirements, which were eased during the pandemic, will resume starting April 1st. Accordingly, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and county Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) are mailing renewal packets including redetermination form.

The time period of receiving a renewal packet varies for each Medi-Cal member. Renewal period is generally based on when the member first applied for and received the Medi-Cal. For example, if you received Medi-Cal in April 2022, you must renew it in April 2023. Renewal documents will be mailed to you two months prior to the date of renewal and must be completed and submitted within 60 days of receiving the documents.

The resumption of renewal following the end of PHE protections will be carried out over 14 months until June next year, and the first renewal period is between April 1st and June 30th.

Renewals can be completed by filling out the form and mailing it in the pre-paid return envelope included in the package, by phone (L.A. County 866-613-3777) or in person (eligibility worker at the DPSS). It is also available online (www.BenefitsCal.com).

Joanna Shin, Health Education, Enrollment and Outreach Specialist at Kheir’s Patient Support Department (PRD), said, “You may need to take action – check the mail carefully and submit the form on time.” “You may need to take action – check that your county has your current information if it’s time to renew and you haven’t received the documents yet,” she emphasized.

Report changes to your county if you have moved or your information such as name, phone number, or email address has changed. Reports can be made by phone (866-613-3777 in Los Angeles County, 800-738-9116 through Covered California), in person (with your eligibility worker), or online (www.BenefitsCal.com, www.CoveredCA.com).

If you have not received your renewal documents or want to know when your renewal is due, you can check with your DPSS eligibility worker. Information on social workers is listed in the upper right corner of Medi-Cal-related letters received.

If DHCS and your county secure the latest information of the member and determine that the eligibility requirements are valid, it may automatically renew. For example, if your renewal date was February 2023 and it was already renewed last month due to a public health emergency, you can renew it in February 2024.

Regarding the reason for renewal, Joanna Shin said, “Especially seniors who have both Medi-Cal and Medicare will be affected by Medicare if Medi-Cal stops.” “If you lose your Medi-Cal benefits, you may need to pay for your Medicare insurance premiums, copays, and other medical expenses,” she explained. She added, “This time, we expect that many people try to renew at once, it is better to prepare in advance and take action.”

▶Inquiry: (213)632-5521 text, INFO@LAKHEIR.ORG email