"Despite the Obama administration’s insistence that low-income individuals and families will benefit from state exchanges and the expansion of Medicaid programs, Rhonda reports some of her clients refuse to apply for Medi-Cal, even though they qualify. Her clients instead want the choice of selecting a healthcare plan and paying a premium (for themselves and their children). But Covered California does not give them the option. Once the website determines a family or household member is eligible for Medicaid, the application is automatically redirected to the state’s Medi-Cal administrator for processing and the website shuts down all other enrollment options. As an alternative, Rhonda has helped some of her clients purchase healthcare plans from the private market. There are good reasons why people avoid Medi-Cal.
When Rhonda called Medi-Cal’s customer service center to check on the status of a client’s application, the representative informed her the backlog for processing new applications was six to eight months. When she asked the representative what her client should do in the meantime, the representative suggested she go to a local healthcare clinic. Rhonda reports she has spoken with others who are also waiting for their Medi-Cal applications to be processed. Many told her they have gone to local healthcare clinics but have been refused treatment because they did not have an insurance card. Rhonda has also spoken with individuals who were previously enrolled in Medi-Cal but are currently uninsured because they were required to reapply for the program -- they are also waiting for Medi-Cal to process their application."
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