COVID-19 Medi-Cal annual redeterminations

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) instructs counties to delay processing of annual redeterminations and delay discontinuances and negative actions for Med-Cal, Medi-Cal Access Program, Medi-Cal Access Infant Access Program, and County Children’s Health Initiative Program for 90 days.

Counties should immediately stop processing annual renewals.  Counties can exceed the timeliness standards for Medi-Cal and Children’s Health Insurance Program for 90 days.

Counties must delay discontinuances and negative actions as a result of renewals and changes in circumstances to ensure beneficiaries remain eligible for Medi-Cal for 90 days.  Counties must process determinations or redeterminations which will cause individuals to gain access to health care coverage and resolve barriers to access to care such as new applications, intercounty transfers, adding a person, a decrease income or processing 90 day cure period restorations.  (MEDIL I-20-07, March 16, 2020.)