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Medi-Cal and the Alliance—
what’s the difference?
M
edi-Cal and the Alliance
are not the same.
Medi-Cal is a State and
Federal program that people apply
for. If you qualify, you are able to
get health care services. Central
California Alliance for Health (the
Alliance) is the health plan for
most people who have Medi-Cal in
Santa Cruz, Monterey and Merced
counties.
Medi-Cal.
Your local county
Medi-Cal office determines if you
are eligible. If you get Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) through
Social Security, your eligibility for
Medi-Cal is through Social Security.
If you are eligible for Medi-Cal,
you will get a Benefits Identification
Card (BIC) in the mail. For the first
month or two, you will have “fee-
for-service” or “State” Medi-Cal.
You can see any doctor that takes
Medi-Cal. The doctor will bill the
state.
Call your county Medi-Cal or
Social Security office to:
■
■
Ask if your Medi-Cal was
approved or if you are still eligible
■
■
Ask when you have to renew your
Medi-Cal (Medi-Cal is renewed
once a year)
■
■
Update your address and phone
number
■
■
Report you are moving or have
moved to another county so your
Medi-Cal can be transferred
■
■
Report a change in income or
family size
■
■
Ask for a new BIC
■
■
Let them know if you have
other health insurance or if you
used to have it but don’t have it any
more
The Alliance.
You will be
automatically enrolled in the
Alliance one or two months after
you get on Medi-Cal. We will send
you an Alliance ID card and a
Service with a smile!
H
ave you ever wondered
who answers the phone
when you call Member
Services?
Our Member Services
Representatives (MSRs) are caring,
dedicated professionals. They are
here to answer your calls Monday
through Friday, from 8 a.m. to
6 p.m.
They are ready to:
■
■
Tell you how the health plan
works
■
■
Answer questions about your
benefits
■
■
Explain how you can get
covered medical care and
services
Let you know which doctors and
clinics you can go to
■
■
Help you choose or change your
Primary Care Provider
■
■
Assist you with concerns or
complaints
Our MSRs live and work in the
communities we serve. And all of
them share a desire to provide you
with the best possible service. We
have representatives who speak
English, Spanish and Hmong.
your coverage
4
living
healthy