{"id":2252,"date":"2026-08-13T22:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/?p=2252"},"modified":"2026-08-13T22:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T22:18:13","slug":"california-officials-delay-sweeping-medi-cal-changes-until-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/american-community-media\/california-officials-delay-sweeping-medi-cal-changes-until-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"California Officials delay sweeping Medi-Cal changes until 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New work requirements, eligibility checks and immigration rules take effect through 2028<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) confirmed this week that a wave of federal and state changes to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, will begin rolling out in January 2027, after the 2026\u201327 state budget pushed back several implementation dates originally expected this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking during a media briefing, State Medicaid Director Tyler Sadwith and Deputy Director for Healthcare Benefits and Eligibility Yingjia Huang walked reporters through a revised timeline of changes that will affect millions of the program’s roughly 14 million members, while stressing that most enrollees will not be impacted and that Medi-Cal “is still here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Please keep using your benefits, please keep your contact information up to date, and please respond quickly to notices that you receive from Medi-Cal,” Sadwith told reporters, describing it as the single most important message for members going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes beginning January 2027<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Starting January 1, 2027, some adult members ages 19 to 64 without children or disabilities will need to report or demonstrate work, school, volunteering or job-training activity to keep their coverage under a new federal requirement. Officials said the state is prioritizing automatic verification using existing databases so that most members will not need to take any action, though roughly 2 million people are expected to receive notices requesting additional information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same month, approximately 2 million members will transition from Medi-Cal managed care plans to fee-for-service Medi-Cal because of a federal mandate. Officials emphasized the shift changes how members access care but does not require them to pay for services; however, members will lose access to certain managed-care-only benefits, such as enhanced care management and community supports, while retaining others like community health worker and doula services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huang, who leads healthcare benefits and eligibility policy at DHCS, said the state timeline itself has shifted to give families breathing room. “The updated timeline gives our Medi-Cal members more time before these changes do go into effect,” she said, adding that the department wants families to “understand the new dates and what, if anything, that they need to do.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beginning March 1, 2027, some adults ages 19 to 64 will have their Medi-Cal eligibility checked twice a year instead of once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes beginning July 2027<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Huang outlined a second set of changes taking effect July 1, 2027:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Federal reclassification of certain immigration statuses \u2014 including refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees and certain trafficking survivors \u2014 will limit affected members to pregnancy-related and emergency services only, after a year of state-funded full-scope coverage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Some adults will lose full Medi-Cal dental benefits based on immigration status, though emergency dental care will remain covered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Certain immigrant members ages 19 to 59 will be required to pay a monthly premium of $30 to $50 to keep full-scope coverage; nonpayment could result in a shift to emergency- and pregnancy-only coverage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    A further federal change taking effect October 1, 2028, will introduce co-payments for certain non-pregnant adults ages 19 to 64 earning more than $15,560 a year, applying to specialty care, treatments and tests, but not to emergency care, checkups, pregnancy care, pediatric care, or mental health and substance use treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Protections that remain unchanged<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Officials reiterated that children ages 0 to 18, pregnant people (through one year postpartum) and former foster youth under age 26 remain eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal regardless of immigration status and are exempt from the new work requirements, premiums and dental restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since January 1, 2026, undocumented adult immigrants can no longer newly enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal, though those already enrolled will retain coverage as long as they renew on time. Members who miss a renewal have three months to correct the issue before being moved to restricted-scope coverage covering only emergency, pregnancy and certain nursing-facility care \u2014 a status DHCS says cannot later be upgraded back to full scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What members should do<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    DHCS urged members to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Keep mailing address, phone number and email current with their county Medi-Cal office, reporting changes within 10 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Open and respond promptly to letters, emails and text messages \u2014 especially renewal packets, which arrive in yellow envelopes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Renew coverage on time, either by mail or online at BenefitsCal.com.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Check the DHCS Medi-Cal Changes website to determine whether specific changes apply to them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Officials said county-level navigators and, soon, federally qualified health clinic navigators will be available to help members complete renewal paperwork, which is offered in 19 threshold languages as well as large print and braille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Addressing misinformation, Sadwith said the most damaging myth circulating in communities is that Medi-Cal has closed to new enrollment altogether. “The door is not closed. It remains open,” Huang added, encouraging eligible individuals to apply through BenefitsCal.com or Covered California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Asked what single message she most wanted to send to Medi-Cal members, Huang pointed back to correspondence from the state: “Make sure if Medi-Cal sends you anything, whether it be through mail, text messages, or email, please make sure you’re opening it and reading it thoroughly.” She added that members who need materials in another language should “call the county so that you can access the information.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For more information, members can visit the DHCS Medi-Cal Changes website or contact their county Medi-Cal office.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Funcionarios de California posponen los grandes cambios a Medi-Cal hasta 2027<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

      Nuevos requisitos de trabajo, revisiones de elegibilidad y reglas migratorias entrar\u00e1n en vigor hasta 2028<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      El Departamento de Servicios de Atenci\u00f3n M\u00e9dica de California (DHCS, por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s) confirm\u00f3 esta semana que una serie de cambios federales y estatales a Medi-Cal, el programa de Medicaid del estado, comenzar\u00e1n a implementarse en enero de 2027, despu\u00e9s de que el presupuesto estatal 2026-27 retrasara varias fechas de implementaci\u00f3n previstas originalmente para este a\u00f1o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Durante una conferencia de prensa, el Director Estatal de Medicaid, Tyler Sadwith, y la Subdirectora de Beneficios y Elegibilidad de Salud, Yingjia Huang, explicaron a los periodistas un cronograma actualizado de cambios que afectar\u00e1n a millones de los aproximadamente 14 millones de afiliados al programa, aunque enfatizaron que la mayor\u00eda de los afiliados no se ver\u00e1 impactada y que Medi-Cal “sigue aqu\u00ed”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      “Por favor, sigan usando sus beneficios, mantengan su informaci\u00f3n de contacto actualizada y respondan r\u00e1pidamente a los avisos que reciban de Medi-Cal”, dijo Sadwith a los periodistas, describi\u00e9ndolo como el mensaje m\u00e1s importante para los afiliados de cara al futuro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cambios a partir de enero de 2027<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      A partir del 1 de enero de 2027, algunos afiliados adultos de entre 19 y 64 a\u00f1os sin hijos ni discapacidades deber\u00e1n reportar o demostrar actividad laboral, escolar, de voluntariado o de capacitaci\u00f3n laboral para mantener su cobertura, bajo un nuevo requisito federal. Los funcionarios se\u00f1alaron que el estado est\u00e1 priorizando la verificaci\u00f3n autom\u00e1tica mediante bases de datos existentes, de modo que la mayor\u00eda de los afiliados no tendr\u00e1 que hacer ning\u00fan tr\u00e1mite, aunque se espera que alrededor de 2 millones de personas reciban avisos solicitando informaci\u00f3n adicional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Ese mismo mes, aproximadamente 2 millones de afiliados pasar\u00e1n de los planes de cuidado administrado de Medi-Cal al sistema de pago por servicio (fee-for-service), debido a un mandato federal. Los funcionarios subrayaron que este cambio modifica la forma en que los afiliados acceden a la atenci\u00f3n, pero no implica que deban pagar por los servicios; sin embargo, perder\u00e1n acceso a ciertos beneficios exclusivos del cuidado administrado, como la gesti\u00f3n de cuidados mejorada y los apoyos comunitarios, aunque conservar\u00e1n otros, como los servicios de promotoras de salud y de doulas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Huang, quien encabeza la pol\u00edtica de beneficios y elegibilidad de salud en DHCS, se\u00f1al\u00f3 que el propio cronograma estatal se modific\u00f3 para darles m\u00e1s margen a las familias. “El cronograma actualizado les da a nuestros afiliados de Medi-Cal m\u00e1s tiempo antes de que estos cambios entren en vigor”, dijo, y agreg\u00f3 que el departamento quiere que las familias “entiendan las nuevas fechas y qu\u00e9, si acaso, necesitan hacer”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A partir del 1 de marzo de 2027, a algunos adultos de entre 19 y 64 a\u00f1os se les revisar\u00e1 su elegibilidad para Medi-Cal dos veces al a\u00f1o en lugar de una.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cambios a partir de julio de 2027<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Huang detall\u00f3 un segundo grupo de cambios que entrar\u00e1n en vigor el 1 de julio de 2027:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • La reclasificaci\u00f3n federal de ciertos estatus migratorios \u2014incluyendo refugiados, asilados, personas con libertad condicional humanitaria (parole humanitario) y ciertos sobrevivientes de trata de personas\u2014 limitar\u00e1 a los afiliados afectados a servicios de emergencia y relacionados con el embarazo \u00fanicamente, tras un a\u00f1o de cobertura de alcance completo financiada por el estado.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Algunos adultos perder\u00e1n los beneficios dentales completos de Medi-Cal seg\u00fan su estatus migratorio, aunque la atenci\u00f3n dental de emergencia seguir\u00e1 cubierta.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Ciertos afiliados inmigrantes de entre 19 y 59 a\u00f1os deber\u00e1n pagar una prima mensual de entre $30 y $50 para mantener su cobertura de alcance completo; el no pago podr\u00eda derivar en un cambio a cobertura limitada a emergencias y embarazo.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Un cambio federal adicional que entrar\u00e1 en vigor el 1 de octubre de 2028 introducir\u00e1 copagos para ciertos adultos no embarazadas de entre 19 y 64 a\u00f1os que ganen m\u00e1s de $15,560 al a\u00f1o, aplicables a atenci\u00f3n especializada, tratamientos y pruebas, pero no a atenci\u00f3n de emergencia, chequeos regulares, atenci\u00f3n del embarazo, atenci\u00f3n pedi\u00e1trica, ni tratamiento de salud mental y de trastornos por uso de sustancias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Protecciones que se mantienen sin cambios<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Los funcionarios reiteraron que los ni\u00f1os de 0 a 18 a\u00f1os, las personas embarazadas (hasta un a\u00f1o despu\u00e9s del parto) y los ex j\u00f3venes de crianza temporal menores de 26 a\u00f1os siguen siendo elegibles para Medi-Cal de alcance completo sin importar su estatus migratorio, y est\u00e1n exentos de los nuevos requisitos de trabajo, las primas y las restricciones dentales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Desde el 1 de enero de 2026, los inmigrantes adultos indocumentados ya no pueden inscribirse por primera vez en Medi-Cal de alcance completo, aunque quienes ya estaban inscritos mantendr\u00e1n su cobertura mientras renueven a tiempo. Los afiliados que no renueven a tiempo tienen tres meses para corregir la situaci\u00f3n antes de pasar a una cobertura de alcance restringido, que cubre \u00fanicamente atenci\u00f3n de emergencia, del embarazo y ciertos cuidados en centros de enfermer\u00eda, un estatus que, seg\u00fan DHCS, ya no puede volver a convertirse en cobertura de alcance completo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Qu\u00e9 deben hacer los afiliados<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        DHCS inst\u00f3 a los afiliados a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Mantener actualizados su direcci\u00f3n postal, n\u00famero de tel\u00e9fono y correo electr\u00f3nico ante la oficina de Medi-Cal de su condado, reportando cualquier cambio dentro de los 10 d\u00edas siguientes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Abrir y responder con prontitud a cartas, correos electr\u00f3nicos y mensajes de texto, especialmente los paquetes de renovaci\u00f3n, que llegan en un sobre amarillo.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Renovar su cobertura a tiempo, ya sea por correo o en l\u00ednea a trav\u00e9s de BenefitsCal.com.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Consultar el sitio web de DHCS sobre los cambios a Medi-Cal para saber si alguno de estos cambios les aplica.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Los funcionarios indicaron que habr\u00e1 navegadores a nivel de condado y, pr\u00f3ximamente, navegadores en cl\u00ednicas federalmente calificadas, para ayudar a los afiliados a completar los tr\u00e1mites de renovaci\u00f3n, los cuales est\u00e1n disponibles en 19 idiomas designados como prioritarios, as\u00ed como en letra grande y braille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Sobre la desinformaci\u00f3n, Sadwith dijo que el mito m\u00e1s da\u00f1ino que circula en las comunidades es que Medi-Cal cerr\u00f3 sus puertas a nuevas inscripciones. “La puerta no est\u00e1 cerrada. Sigue abierta”, agreg\u00f3 Huang, animando a las personas elegibles a inscribirse a trav\u00e9s de BenefitsCal.com o Covered California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Al preguntarle cu\u00e1l era el mensaje principal que quer\u00eda transmitir a los afiliados de Medi-Cal, Huang volvi\u00f3 a se\u00f1alar la correspondencia del estado: “Aseg\u00farense de que, si Medi-Cal les env\u00eda algo, ya sea por correo, mensaje de texto o correo electr\u00f3nico, lo abran y lo lean con detenimiento”. A\u00f1adi\u00f3 que los afiliados que necesiten los materiales en otro idioma deben “llamar al condado para poder acceder a la informaci\u00f3n”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n, los afiliados pueden visitar el sitio web de DHCS sobre los cambios a Medi-Cal o comunicarse con la oficina de Medi-Cal de su condado.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          New work requirements, eligibility checks and immigration rules take effect through 2028 The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) confirmed this week that a wave of federal and state changes to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, will begin rolling out in January 2027, after the 2026\u201327 state budget pushed back several implementation dates originally […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2253,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[686],"tags":[4963,4962,1884],"class_list":["post-2252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-community-media","tag-4963","tag-california-officials","tag-medical"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2254,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2252\/revisions\/2254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavoz.us.com\/homepage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}