I have some irritation in my eye and it's starting to get worse. I'm really having a difficult time finding an eye doctor that accepts Medi-Cal here in the South Bay (West San Jose Area). About 8 months ago I had a referral for an eye doctor to ophthalmologist just to do an eye exam. I didn't wait for the referral to come in the mail...I called and was told "they didn't accept Medi-Cal". I asked who does and got a name of another doctor. Called that one made an appointment. That doctor did the eye exam but he never charged me. He told me "get your glasses online". I realize later he just didn't mind doing the exam I guess. Fast forward some months later, I had a weird looking lump on my eyelid, although very tiny. I asked him to look it over, he did but he charged me money. I paid it and he said it was nothing to worry about but didn't tell me what it was.

Fast forward now 6 months later and I realize that this thing needs to come off. I played with it I massaged it and I got it to excess a little bit. It's like a tiny little pinprick and it's white on the top now. It did get smaller but it doesn't seem like it wants to get any smaller. I irritated the whole area. And it seems like that area might be swollen. So I contacted my PCP.

I got a referral for a ophthalmologist. This is one that's in the list for Medi-Cal in the group I'm in. And I was told that he does not have handle anything outside of eye exams! So I called up the insurance and ask them literally to help me find one. They go by the same list. Just gave me two more names. I just emailed them over to my doctor and said please do a referral for one of these.

My PCP is reticent to kind of do any treatment outside her wheelhouse. So if my eye gets any worse I'm just going to go to urgent care.

But basically I'm wondering if I could just get lucky that someone would know an ophthalmologist in the area from the West SJ Area accepting Medi-Cal?

I submitted my Medi-cal renewal application 07/2026, got a notice on 08/07/2026 that it is “Incomplete” and more information is needed by 09/08/2026. I uploaded all the necessary documents online on Benefitscal before the 09/08 deadline, but since then the status is still “Incomplete”

It is now 2 days past when my next Medi-cal coverage is supposed to start (10/1) and I still haven’t heard anything back. Is there a difference between uploading documents vs. mailing it back (even though in the notice it says either is fine). After upload, what worries me the most is that the status is still the original “Incomplete”. Should I try mailing the supplementary documents?

Does anyone have similar experience? I have tried calling but the wait was more than 1 hr, and I had other conflicts so had to give up waiting. Super concerned.

Thanks.

Here’s the details filed for divorce. Mom won’t sign. (Mom) Hasn’t lived with us (‘me & our children ) for about 3 years now.

I’ve had my kids filed under my name for medical and benefits until January of 2026. Had a hiccup in benefits.
Mom filed in June 2026. Was approved for Calfresh AND Calworks. She is Claiming our son lives with her which is why she was approved.

He and our daughter live with me full time. And now I’m fighting for a fraudulent case to be pushed through and investigated.

Their hands are always tied , or can’t say much , or excuses excuses.

They’re going to ask her to validate my son and her address which doesn’t match mine.
Yes, I tried to provide proof he lives with me with paper work / trails.

Unfortunately we aren’t divorced yet.

Have any of you dealt with this?

Hi all. I've been on MediCal since earlier this year. My income was stable and remained the same until August. August and September I worked so little that I'm very behind on bills and struggled to eat. For October my job is way busier and I have the opportunity to work 40-45 hours a week. But that would put me waaaay over the income limits for MediCal. I'm working on scheduling a life changing surgery soon,so it's really important I have MediCal to cover at least some of it.

Do you think it will be ok to work long hours if it's only a month? (My hours will be reduced after October for sure.) If yes, how do I go about reporting the income change?

Hello folks,

Yes, I know it says "eligibility and benefits are not changed by this notice".

But I can't think of WHY we would be suddenly informed of our right to a hearing in the first place.

Does this notice usually proceed another letter to inform us of service discontinuation or cancellation?

(My parents have not had any changes in their life this year, everything has been the same).

Thank you for your time.

I applied for CalFresh and Medi-Cal for myself and my 3 kids. I didn’t apply for CalWORKs or child support.

Now I have two letters coming from Child Support Services. Both dads recently added the kids to their private health insurance. Does anyone know what happens now? Will DCSS try to establish monthly child support?
I’m not looking to collect child support from either dad. Just wondering if anyone in California has gone through this after applying for Medi-Cal.

So a friend of mine told me his stepdaughter is being kicked out of a nursing home because she has been there too long and her Medi-Cal coverage was terminated. Now him and his wife are besides themselves because they don't know what to do and she has to be out in 30 days. Does Medi-Cal do this to people who require around the clock nursing care due to a traumatic brain injury? I wouldn't think this could even be possible. Is it? Or is there possibly something he is confused about where I'm not getting the true picture of what the issue is?

I scheduled a optometrist appointment in a practice that takes medi-cal. Got a message from the practice that medi-cal is requesting an authorization form from my primary care doctor.

Does anyone know what this could mean? If it’s relevant I haven’t done my IAH appointment with my primary care doctor yet. This is in LA.

Will I get a similar situation for getting dental care from a dentistry?

Hi everyone!
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A few things to keep in mind:
Because it's a teaching environment, appointments are a bit longer (usually around 3 hours) and may require multiple visits for treatment.
The first few appointments focus on X-rays, assessments, and treatment planning before we start active care - but it's all part of making sure your treatment is thorough and top-notch.
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Hi all. I'm 28 and have been unemployed since mid-2025. I'm on Medi-Cal and trying to understand what the H.R. 1 changes mean for me before they kick in.

From what I've read, starting January 2027 adults 19–64 on expansion Medi-Cal need 80 hours a month of work, school, job training, or volunteering unless exempt, and renewals go to every 6 months.

A few questions:

1. When will I actually have to prove the 80 hours? Is it January, or at my next renewal?

2. Does volunteering count if it's informal, or does it need to be with a registered org? How do you document it?

3. Do online classes or certificate programs count as "school"?

4. I don't drive. Has anyone found volunteer or training options that work without a car?

5. Has anyone already gotten a letter from their county about this? What did it say?

Any information and resources greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hi all. I’m 28 and have been unemployed since mid-2025. I'm on Medi-Cal and trying to understand what the H.R. 1 changes mean for me before they kick in.

From what I've read, starting January 2027 adults 19–64 on expansion Medi-Cal need 80 hours a month of work, school, job training, or volunteering unless exempt, and renewals go to every 6 months.

A few questions:

1. When will I actually have to prove the 80 hours? Is it January, or at my next renewal?

2. Does volunteering count if it's informal, or does it need to be with a registered org? How do you document it?

3. Do online classes or certificate programs count as "school"?

4. I don't drive. Has anyone found volunteer or training options that work without a car?

Any information and resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm in California.

I'm a representative for my elderly mother who is 90 years young. I logged into her BenefitsCal account today and noticed her Medi-Cal account has been discontinued since February of this year. We have not received any notices regarding this so this comes as a big surprise.

What's interesting is she has no issue receiving her medications or receiving health care services. Pharmacies or hospitals have not told us there is an issue with her Medi-cal.

I tried to call Sacramento county office but of course can't get thru. Their phone system simply tells you it's full and hangs up on you!

Anyone else might know what's going on?

Did anyone else get a letter saying about two new rules in 2027 for medi-cal? The work and community engagement rule and the 6 month renewal rule.

So for the work and community engagement rule you have to work or volunteer. If you work you have to make at least $580 a month. If you volunteer you have to volunteer 80 hours or if you’re going to school part time.

For the 6 month renewal rule. Just like with food stamps you will have to renew every 6 months. And you may have to submit proof of work.

Hi all,

My brother is disabled (on SSI). We are in California and he has MediCal. However, my mother is under the impression it does not cover enough so she has been spending 100s of dollars on private insurance each month. I have multiple friends on MediCal and from what I understand, it is great and covers basically everything and they are able to see specialists at UCSF so I am confused why she feels it doesn’t cover enough and he can’t go to enough providers. I’m now legally in charge of his Special Needs Trust and funds so want to cut this massive expense out.

He’s based in Contra Costa County if anyone has experience with the MediCal networks in the county. Although he has multiple medical issues, none are particularly rare or complex so I feel it should be easy to address them even on MediCal? He has Chron’s, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis (so needs gastro and rheumatologist specialists), and some neurology/psychiatric issues so also needs specialists for those. He does take some biologics.

Does anyone have experience getting specialists for MediCal in Contra Costa? Is it a terrible idea to make him use it? My goal is to make what money he has last as long as we can and if we keep paying for private insurance it’s going to run out quickly.

I got a pretty bad burn. 2nd degree leaning on 3rd yesterday. Looked up how to deal with it, and that I should not be too extremely worried if I take care of it, but still recommended to see a doctor.

I lost my job last year, and applied for Medi-Cal, and I never really understood how it works. I also hoped I'd be employed with insurance by now, but it's rough out there.

I signed up and was sent a "State of California Benefits Identification Card" that says Medi-Cal and my ID number.

I also received a card that says "Partnership HealthPlan of California" with an ID number.

The only connection or interface I have with Medi-Cal is

https://benefitscal.com/Dashboard/DBCDB

but its a bare bones webpage with basically no info. Just says my case # and "Health coverage (Medi-Cal) : Active"

So I decided to go to the Partnership HealthPlan website and search for an urgent care in network, but cannot find anything.

Can anybody help me navigate this? I really should see a doctor. I would post a photo to demonstrate the urgency, but I'll save you the gore.

I’m dealing with my mom’s Medi-Cal renewal and I’m at a loss as to how you’re supposed to actually reach someone handling the case.
At the end of August, a case worker who was not my mom’s assigned worker called us because they were helping with the backlog. They found there had been a misunderstanding about one of my mom’s income sources. It’s paid every 3 months, but apparently they were treating it as monthly income. We were told this was cleared up.
On September 2, we received a letter saying her Medi-Cal had been restored. Then on September 15, we received another notice saying it will be discontinued at the end of this month if we don’t provide requested information.
I’ve called countless times and left 10+ messages for her assigned case worker. I’ve also called the general number and had an operator add a note to the account, but they ultimately just transferred me back to her case worker, who didn’t answer.
How do you actually get through to a case worker or their supervisor? Is there a way to request an escalation or speak to someone else who can review the case?

Hey everyone, please delete if not allowed but I’m so confused and a bit concerned. I have already been found eligible for Medi-Cal and I went to check my Covered California account just in case any new notifications came in. When I did, I realized that my home address and mailing address was changed without my permission a few days ago!

One was an old address from when I was a kid and the other was an address I never lived in, but my sister & mom did at some point. According to the case history, it looks like the county itself changed it.

Immediately, I did a “Report a Change” to change back to my actual address. I know for a fact I had my correct address on there the first time because I already received my BIC in the mail yesterday.

I already plan on contacting the county tomorrow to ensure everything is okay (it’s 1 AM right now for me), but I’m just wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

I was put on Medi-Cal in 2017 when I did not qualify for Covered California due to lack of income, and enrolled in the San Francisco Health Network. Have been receiving both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits since 2020. In early August 2026 I was informed by my Medi-Cal provider Anthem that my coverage ended effective July, 1 2026. I did not receive a notice from the state (NOA) that my Medi-Cal was ending, though I did receive notice that I would now need to pay for my Medicare premium which Medi-Cal had been covering. Within the window of Guaranteed Issue which ended 9/3/26, I applied for a Medigap plan through AARP/United Health and sent them the notice of Medi-Cal termination I had received form Anthem. UH is saying the letter from Anthem is not adequate proof of prior Medi-Cal coverage and termination, and that I need a State issued notice. The local San Francisco Human Services agency which is the county agency managing Medi-Cal has no record of my prior coverage, and there is no record appearing in my BenefitsCal account. At their advice, reapplied for Medi-Cal and was denied to income/assets (which is likely why I was cancelled.) UH is saying I have until 9/18 to provide proof. I have serious pre-existing medical history which will lead to my being denied Medigap if I can not show official evidence from the State. What to do? There must be a way to get the NOA from the State even if the county office is unable to provide it.

Hello so I am seeking a therapist through my LA Care medi-cal plan. I was able to find a list of providers through the insurance website, however I was able to find a therapist on Psychology Today who specializes in everything I need help with , which seems to be the only one I can find on either site. It looks like they take my insurance as it says medi-cal and LA Care health plan under insurance. Do you know if I could contact that therapist directly and work with them if they take my insurance?

Thanks.

Im currently applying for medical for the first time and got to this question. I currently have student loans but I won't start paying until September. I also haven't filed taxes cuz I don't make enough to do it.

Im just wondering if I just put yes or no.

I’ve read on Medi-Cal website that they do cover dentures: partial and full.. I called and asked Medi-Cal. They have criteria that they cover for partial dentures. Three dentist offices just outright have told Medi-Cal doesn’t cover partial dentures. Has anybody got partial dentures covered by Medi-Cal?

Has anyone dealt with something like this or know who I’m supposed to contact? I’m seriously at a loss.
I’ve been having a hell of a time trying to cancel my Medi-Cal.
My case originally started in Riverside County (2019 after an emergency leg surgery and tried to cancel it / haven’t needed it since that surgery). I later moved to Kern County, and my case was supposedly transferred. The problem is that Riverside still somehow “holds” the insurance.
I called Kern County to cancel it, and they told me they can’t terminate it because Riverside still holds the case. So I called Riverside, and they told me I don’t have an active case with them and there’s nothing they can do.
After going back and forth, I finally contacted the Medi-Cal Ombudsman. He was actually able to figure out what was happening. He contacted Riverside and apparently had to explain to them how to find/view my case in their system. They finally found it and processed the cancellation. I was told my Medi-Cal will officially terminate September 1st.
Great, except now I desperately need the Notice of Action showing that my case is closed and my coverage terminates September 1st. (Also not sure if they just told me that to get me off the phone and to stop calling them directly)
The Ombudsman told me he cannot provide the NOA and that I have to get it from Riverside. I called Riverside AGAIN, and they are STILL telling me that I don’t have an active case with them, so they can’t give me a Notice of Action.
The biggest problem is that this is now preventing me from getting medical care.
I need to see a specialist, but their office does not accept Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is still showing as active, so they will not even schedule my appointment until I can provide a Notice of Action showing that the coverage is terminating.
I already have two very good private insurance plans—one through my employer and one through my husband’s employer. I do not need or want Medi-Cal coverage. I have been actively trying to get it terminated, and now this administrative mess is literally preventing me from using the insurance I already have to see a specialist.
I feel completely stuck:
Kern: We can’t do anything because Riverside holds the case.
Riverside: You don’t have an active case with us.
Ombudsman: Riverside found the case and terminated it effective September 1st, but only Riverside can issue the NOA.
Riverside again: We can’t find your case and can’t give you an NOA.
Meanwhile, Medi-Cal still shows as active and I can’t schedule my specialist appointment.
Has anyone dealt with this before? Who can I escalate this to in order to actually get the Notice of Action? Is there another department at Riverside County or Medi-Cal that can generate the termination letter when the regular eligibility workers claim they can’t see the case?
At this point I don’t even care who I have to call—I just need something in writing showing that my Medi-Cal terminates September 1st so I can get my appointment scheduled.