What’s happening: Effective Jan. 1, 2024, California will provide full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals ages 26 to 49, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, who otherwise meet financial eligibility criteria for the program.
What else to know: The state previously expanded full-scope eligibility for similarly situated people ages 19 to 25 in 2020 and people 50 and older in 2022.
Under this coverage expansion, eligible individuals will be mandatorily enrolled into a Medi-Cal managed care plan and have access to the full continuum of Medi-Cal benefits including:
- Preventive care
- Behavioral health
- Long-term care
- Dental services
Previously, this population was only eligible for emergency and pregnancy-related care through the fee-for-service delivery system. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) estimates that more than 700,000 individuals will be eligible under this expansion.
For further information, please visit the DHCS web page.