3 / 6
MEDI-CAL AND THE ALLIANCE
What’s the
difference?
County Medi-Cal offices
Social Security
Santa Cruz County
1-888-421-8080
1-800-780-1106
Monterey County
1-877-410-8823
1-877-696-9397
Merced County
209-385-3000
1-888-632-7069
benefits
W
e get calls asking if Medi-Cal and the Alliance
are the same. The answer is they are not the same.
Medi-Cal is a state and federal program that people apply for. If
they qualify, they are eligible to get health care services.
Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) is a health plan.
It is the health plan that most people who have Medi-Cal in Santa Cruz,
Monterey and Merced counties are enrolled in.
or “state” Medi-Cal. You can see any
doctor that takes fee-for-service
Medi-Cal. The doctor will bill the
state.
Call your county Medi-Cal
office to:
■
■
See if your Medi-Cal was
approved or is still active
■
■
Ask when your Medi-Cal renewal
date is (Medi-Cal is renewed once
a year)
■
■
Update your address and/or
phone number
■
■
Report you are moving 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 other health insurance but
don’t any more
Central California Alliance
for Health (the Alliance).
You
will be automatically enrolled in
the Alliance one or two months
after you first become eligible for
Medi-Cal. Once it happens, you will
get an Alliance ID card in the mail
and a new member packet. You
will pick a Primary Care Provider
(PCP). If you don’t, we will assign
you to one.
The Alliance covers most Medi-
Cal services but does not cover
dental services. Dental services are
covered by the Denti-Cal Program.
For information about dental
services, call the Denti-Cal
Program at 1-800-322-6384.
Call the Alliance to:
■
■
Learn more about how your
health plan works
■
■
Get help with understanding
what services are covered and how
to get care
■
■
Choose or change your Alliance
PCP
■
■
Let us know if you are not happy
with your provider, the care you are
getting or something the Alliance
has done
■
■
Update your address and/or
phone number
■
■
Ask for a new Alliance ID card
You can reach the Alliance at
1-800-700-3874
.
Medi-Cal.
Medi-Cal provides
health care coverage for children,
adults and people with disabilities
in California. To qualify, people
have to make less than a certain
amount of money. Both the state
and federal government pay for it.
Some people are eligible because
they get Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) through the Social
Security office.
You can apply for Medi-Cal
through your local county Medi-
Cal office. You can also apply
through California’s Health Benefits
Exchange, which is called Covered
California.
Your local county Medi-Cal office
determines if you are eligible. If
you are, you will get a Medi-Cal
Benefits Identification Card (BIC)
in the mail. For the first month or
two, you will have “fee-for-service”
3
living
healthy