The Defecit Reduction Act requires U.S. Citizens and Nationals to provide proof of citizenship/ national status and identity for Medi-Cal eligibility. The NOAs related to the DRA are now available in Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Armenian, Farsi, Khmer, Hmong, Arabic, Tagalog, Spanish, and English. [Download]

This letter clarifies that the Refugee Medical Assistance and Entrant Medical Assistance program (RMA/EMA) is a fully federally funded non Medi-Cal program that gives full-scope medical assistance through the Medi-Cal program. RMA/EMA only lasts for 8 months and counties must evaluate RMA/EMA beneficiaries for ongoing Medi-Cal eligibility prior to discontinuance. If a refugee/ entrant claims a disability the county must submit the disability evaluation as soon as possible to increase the chances that the disability evaluation will be completed by the end of the eight month period. The letter also discusses who can be on the program, lists which documentation is acceptable evidence of status for the program, and lays out upcoming MEDS changes. [Download]

This letter clarifies that the Aged and Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program (A&D FPL) follows the Medically Needy Rules, including all income deductions, allocations, and exemptions. It refers to ACWDL 00-57, which contains the A&D FPL financial eligibility form. [Download]

This letter has revisions to the effective date of the 2008 SSI/SSP cash grant levels. The SSP COLA increases originally scheduled for June 1, 2008, and then delayed to October 1, 2008, will not be going into effect on October 1, 2008. The ACWDL includes a revised chart showing the rates from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. The rate for an independently living couple where both are aged or disabled will remain at $1,524. [Download]

DSS anticipates that the statute authorizing the SSP COLA increase on October 1, 2008 will be repealed, so the COLA increase will not be implemented on October 1, 2008. Income limits for a couple on A&D FPL Medi-Cal will not be increased on October 1, 2008 as planned but will remain at $1524 through March 31, 2009. [Download]

DHCS will no longer mail out paper copies of new All County Welfare Director Letters or Medi-Cal Eligibility Division Information Letters. New ACWDLs and MEDILs will only be issued electonically and placed on the website at http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/eligibility/Pages/ACWDLbyyear.aspx. [Download]