Thousands at Risk of Losing Medi-Cal Coverage in Los Angeles County, Raises Concerns Over Access to Healthcare

These numbers are subject to change as more individuals submit paperwork to renew their Medi-Cal coverage.

Approximately 40,000 individuals enrolled in Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, are at risk of losing their coverage this month in Los Angeles County, according to preliminary data received by L.A. Care

The potential loss of Medi-Cal coverage is a result of the rollback of federal rules that previously prevented states from removing people from Medicaid programs during the pandemic.

The termination of coverage due to “procedural reasons” such as missed paperwork raises concerns that eligible patients may lose their health benefits unnecessarily. Losing Medi-Cal coverage can have life-threatening consequences, including missed medical appointments and canceled surgeries. The Western Center on Law & Poverty emphasized the severity of the situation, highlighting that losing Medi-Cal coverage can lead to missed dialysis transportation and the inability to pick up necessary prescription drugs.

California is beginning to remove people from Medi-Cal programs in July, with an estimated 1.5 million people across the country losing Medicaid coverage due to the rollback of rules

In Orange County, over 10,000 Medi-Cal enrollees are at risk of losing coverage for not returning their paperwork on time. While there is a 90-day window for reinstating coverage retroactively, concerns remain about the ability of counties to process a large number of renewals and provide timely assistance to individuals seeking help with Medi-Cal.

L.A. Care anticipates that approximately 13% of its Medi-Cal members will lose coverage in the next year. Efforts are underway by government agencies and community groups to inform people about the renewal process and help those who are disenrolled obtain alternative health coverage. Despite automatic renewals providing relief for many families, there are still worries about individuals who may only discover they have lost Medi-Cal coverage when they attempt to access medical services or fill prescriptions.

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