Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Posts related to how California MAGI Medi-Cal works, especially with Covered California, enrollment, termination, household income.
When there is an error in a county Medi-Cal determination, it is nice if the beneficiary has an actual person to talk to. These people are known as case eligibility workers that work with most aspects of the eligibility determination process. Case eligibility workers seem to be going the way of most customer service departments for any business where access is governed by automated phone menus and chatbots.
While the network of health care providers is small with Medi-Cal programs, if you qualify for the 250% Working Disabled Program, you may be able to save quite a bit of money. To see you if you might qualify, contact your county’s social service department for Medi-Cal eligibility unit.
Medi-Cal breaks up the income into unearned income, earned income, in kind income, and exempt income. Finally, there are certain expenses that will reduce the final countable income for eligibility in the Medicare Savings Program.
I have created this income table that has the monthly income numbers for Medi-Cal eligibility next to the 2024 annual income amounts for the Covered California subsidies.The Medi-Cal income columns of the Covered California income table are 138% FPL for adults, 213% FPL for pregnant women, 266% FPL for children 18 years and younger, and 322% FPL for children in certain counties of California.
The California Department of Health Care Services will now participate in a Part A Buy-In program with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and cover the premiums for Part A. Medicare beneficiaries eligible to have their Part A premiums covered are:
A single adult can now have a monthly income of $1,732 per month and retain their Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Medi-Cal. The higher monthly income, an increase of $55 over 2023, is based on 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
Starting on January 1, 2024, assets, such as bank accounts, cash, a second vehicle, and homes, will no longer be counted when determining Medi-Cal eligibility. Income and income from assets, such as income from property, will continue to be counted. If you’re already a Medi-Cal member, this rule applies to you now, and you don’t need to report assets during your renewal.
Individuals and families in Medi-Cal HMO plans in 22 counties across the state may have to select a new health plan and doctors beginning January 2024. The Department of Health Care Services is transforming the Medi-Cal health plans with new requirements with the aim to improve health care quality. Implementation of the new contracts, along […]
Some people only learn they have been flipped into Medi-Cal when they are at their doctor’s office and the receptionist tells them their health insurance has been cancelled. What follows for many people is a nightmare scenario of trying to learn why their Covered California plan was terminated, who terminated it, why they are in Medi-Cal, and how to get of the Medi-Cal system.
The Medi-Cal annual redetermination paperwork can be confusing and complicated. It can be hard to reach a county Medi-Cal case worker to answer questions. The Department of Health Care Services maintains a webpage of local health enrollment navigators by county.
