Health Coverage · Checklist · Reviewed July 14, 2026

Medi-Cal and Covered California check

A first-step check for applying, renewing, replacing lost coverage, or using special enrollment.

The short version

Medi-Cal stays open all year; Covered California uses enrollment windows

The two doors keep different hours: you may apply for Medi-Cal at any time, while Covered California uses open enrollment or a special window after a life change. Renewal is the part to watch, because Medi-Cal may end when renewal papers are late or missing. Send the missing facts to the county right away - you may have 90 days to fix the case without a new application.

What changes the answer: A county eligibility notice, a health-plan denial, and a Covered California decision use different appeal paths. Read the name, date, and instructions on the actual notice.

Official: Medi-Cal help

Medi-Cal and Covered California share an application doorway. They are not the same coverage. Their enrollment clocks also work differently.

How it works

One application can lead to two kinds of coverage

Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. The county handles most cases. Covered California is the state's market for private health plans and help with cost. One home can have a child on Medi-Cal and adults on a Covered California plan.

The application checks the facts for each person. It sends each person to the program that fits. A private plan has a monthly bill, doctor network, deductible, and start date. Medi-Cal has its own rules, health plans, and county process.

A Medi-Cal application has a decision clock

Medi-Cal applications stay open all year. DHCS says a regular decision may take up to 45 days. A disability-based decision may take up to 90 days. The county or Covered California sends a Notice of Action with the result.

Save the application date and confirmation. If the decision does not arrive within the listed time, or the decision looks wrong, the DHCS help page explains the State Fair Hearing path.

Renewal has a second-chance window

Medi-Cal must be renewed at least once each year. The county may renew from records it already has. If it needs more information, it sends a form. Return it by the due date and keep proof.

Coverage may end because renewal facts were late or missing. In that case, DHCS gives 90 days to send the missing facts without a new application. If the person still qualifies, the county can restore coverage with no gap. Most household changes must be reported to the county within 10 days.

Covered California follows the life event

Outside open enrollment, Covered California generally needs a qualifying life change. Most special-enrollment periods last 60 days from the event. Losing Medi-Cal or employer coverage can count. Save the notice that shows when the old coverage ends.

Choosing not to pay a COBRA premium does not count as losing coverage. Marriage, a new child, some moves, release from custody, and other listed events can open a path. The exact event and date control the window.

Some Medi-Cal rules changed in 2026

DHCS now reviews assets for people age 65 or older, people with disabilities, people who need long-term care, and some families whose income is too high for the federal tax-based Medi-Cal rules. Income-only rules still apply to many other applicants. The county decides which method fits the person.

A second rule began on January 1, 2026. California stopped some adults age 19 or older from joining full-scope Medi-Cal when they do not have satisfactory immigration status. A person in that group who already has coverage may keep it by renewing and staying eligible. Children use different rules. So do pregnant people and people who need emergency or pregnancy care. Check the current DHCS page before using an old chart.

First moves

1
Start with the paper or event: a new application, renewal form, Notice of Action, employer coverage ending, Medi-Cal ending, or another life change.
2
You can apply for Medi-Cal at any time of year. Use the official online path or apply through the county by phone, mail, or in person.
3
Save the application date and confirmation. A general Medi-Cal decision can take up to 45 days. A disability-based application can take up to 90 days.
4
Medi-Cal renews at least once a year. If the county cannot renew from available records, it sends a renewal form for current or changed information.
5
Return a requested renewal form by the due date and keep the receipt. If coverage ended for missing renewal information, DHCS gives 90 days to provide it without a new application.
6
Use Covered California for marketplace plans. Most special-enrollment periods last 60 days after the qualifying life change.
7
Loss of Medi-Cal or employer coverage can open special enrollment. Keep the notice showing the coverage and end date.
8
Before choosing a plan, check the premium, deductible, network, and prescriptions. Confirm the coverage start date too. A certified enroller can provide enrollment help.

Watch for

1
Medi-Cal can be applied for year-round. Covered California marketplace enrollment outside open enrollment generally needs a qualifying life event.
2
Most Covered California special-enrollment periods are 60 days, but the event and exception control the real window.
3
Not paying a COBRA premium is not treated as loss of coverage for Covered California special enrollment.
4
Medi-Cal rules can differ by age, pregnancy, immigration category, disability, income, and application date. Use current DHCS guidance.
5
Report household changes to the county. DHCS says changes generally must be reported within 10 days.
6
A Medi-Cal Notice of Action, health-plan grievance, and Covered California appeal can use different paths.
7
If care cannot wait, use the provider, plan, county, or emergency path that fits the need. A website page should not delay urgent care.

Official sources

Where to confirm this

Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.

Medi-Cal help Department of Health Care Services applications, processing, renewals, changes, and notices Apply for health coverage Department of Health Care Services year-round Medi-Cal and application channels Medi-Cal county offices Department of Health Care Services county eligibility office finder 2026 Medi-Cal changes Department of Health Care Services current asset-review and enrollment-change categories Qualifying life events Covered California special-enrollment events and general 60-day window Find an enroller Covered California certified enrollment help State hearing information California Department of Social Services hearing help for Medi-Cal eligibility decisions

Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.

How to use California Porch safely

Directory paths

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Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfStart hereFind the right public office for everyday paperwork.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolLocal office routerCalifornia has layers, and the task picks the layer. Match the errand to the right counter, from city hall to a special district.Nearby toolConsumer problem and complaint routerComplaints work better in the right lane. Pick the path that matches the problem, from contractor trouble to a charge dispute.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.