Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | March 2019

7 HEALTHY MEDI-CAL AND THE ALLIANCE— what’s the difference Medi-Cal. Your 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 qualify, you will get a Benefits Identification Card (BIC) in the mail. For the first one to two months, 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 about your eligibility ●  ● Ask about renewing your Medi-Cal ●  ● Update your address and phone number ●  ● Report you are moving or have moved to transfer your Medi-Cal ●  ● Report a change in income or family size ●  ● Ask for a new BIC ●  ● Report you have other health insurance or used to have it, but don’t anymore The Alliance. You will be automatically enrolled in the Alliance one to two months after you get on Medi‑Cal. We will send you an Alliance ID card and a new member packet. The packet has important information on how our plan works and what doctors you can see. You need to pick a primary care doctor or clinic. We can help you do that. If you don’t, we will assign you to one. The Alliance covers most Medi-Cal services but not all. Dental services are covered by the Denti-Cal Program. Their phone number is (800) 322-6384 . Call the Alliance to: ●  ● Learn how your health plan works and what services are covered ●  ● Choose or change your doctor ●  ● Ask for a new Alliance ID card You can reach the Alliance at (800) 700-3874 . Stay covered—don’t forget to renew your Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is renewed once a year. The date depends on when you become eligible. Renewals are done by the county Medi-Cal office, not the Alliance. If the Medi-Cal office needs information from you to renew your benefits, they will send you a notice. If you moved since you enrolled, call the Medi-Cal office and give them your address. If you get a renewal notice, it will tell you what you need to do and by when. It is important to provide any information by the due date. If you don’t, your Medi-Cal benefits will end. If you lose your Medi-Cal, you will not be an Alliance member any more. You may reapply for Medi-Cal, but you may have a break in coverage. If you have Medi-Cal through Social Security because you get SSI, you have a different process. Social Security will let you know if they need any information from you to stay eligible. Medi-Cal and the Alliance are not the same. Medi-Cal is a State and Federal program. If you qualify, you can 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. ?