California is offering health care to all undocumented residents in 2024. Here’s how to apply
California officially removes immigration status as a barrier to health care, making all low-income undocumented residents eligible for Medi-Cal in 2024.
On Monday, the state opens its Medi-Cal eligibility to undocumented adults 26 to 49 — the last remaining age group to be included. The expansion is expected to provide full coverage for roughly 750,000 residents and will likely lead to the largest drop in the rate of uninsured Californians in a decade. It is estimated to cost about $2.6 billion annually.
“It’s life changing for many of these folks, if not most,” said Rachel Linn Gish, director of communications at Health Access California. “Now, all families can enroll together.”
Expanding Medi-Cal to all undocumented residents had been a goal of health and immigration advocates for years. But the steps toward that vision have only happened in the last 10 years.
In 2015, lawmakers voted to begin allowing undocumented children to join Medi-Cal. Four years later, eligibility broadened to those younger than 26. Then, in 2022, the state started covering people aged 50 and older. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a budget deal he struck with the Legislature for latest expansion.
California is home to more than 2 million undocumented residents, which is the most in the country, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
“Many people never thought they would see the day that undocumented people could access Medi-Cal, but it’s a testament to what the real needs are in the community,” Ana Alvarez, a campaign organizer for Health Access California.
How to apply
Undocumented Californians who aren’t enrolled to receive Medi-Cal benefits should sign up immediately. But there are sometimes challenges to getting people to enroll, said Alvarez.
She noted that people without an acceptable immigration status can often fear giving out their information. Community organizations and nonprofits can often fill those gaps and help educate.
If an individual wants to apply, they can visit the California Department of Health Care Services website, find their nearest county office and apply in-person or download the application and mail it in.
Undocumented Californians, who are already receiving limited Medi-Cal services through restricted-scope plans, will be alerted of the full coverage expansion.
Californians are eligible for Medi-Cal coverage based on their income relevant to the federal poverty level. As of 2024, the Medi-Cal income cap for a family of four this year is $41,400.
