Program Update!! All eligible Californians 50 years of age or older can now get free full-scope Medi-Cal regardless of immigration status. See our new Health4All Older Adult flyer for details. Medi-Cal is not a public charge benefit. (See here for more info.)
The Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) offers free over-the-phone or in-person assistance to help people struggling to get or maintain health coverage and resolve problems with their health plans.
Medical Debt - Do you have a medical bill that you cannot afford? We may be able to help you reduce your bills from hospitals, dentists, ambulance transportation, doctor groups, and other types of health care services. Call us for free help.
Important!! - Has your contact information changed in the past two years? Are you enrolled in Medi-Cal?
Update your contact information with your local County office today! Give your county office your updated contact information so you can keep your Medi-Cal. You can find your local county office by visiting dhcs.ca.gov/COL or calling the Medi-Cal Member Helpline at (800) 541-5555 or our consumer hotline at 888 804 3536.
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Keep Your Coverage After the COVID Emergency
The Health Consumer Alliance can help you access health care after the COVID-19 emergency ends in 2023. Learn your rights to keep your coverage!
Anthem Blue Cross fined by state of California
California fines Anthem Blue Cross for illegally denying gender-affirming care.
California has fined Anthem Blue Cross of
Durable Medical Equipment: The Basics for California Advocates
Click here to access the Durable Medical Equipment: The Basics for California Advocates guide, which
Black Pregnancy Health Quality of Care Fact Sheet
Our Black Pregnancy Health Quality of Care Fact Sheet provides important information and resources to support the health and well-being of Black pregnant individuals.
County of Santa Clara Charity Care Settlement
Starting August 14, 2023, about 43,000 former patients of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have a limited time to apply for refunds of hospital bills they overpaid. The application deadline is 65 days from the date of the County’s mailing of a letter to the patient notifying them of their past bills.
This process is so confusing. I don’t know what people do who don’t have you to help them.
Consumer who did not know how to enroll in Medicare after losing employer coverage
Featuring a recent example of HCA Advocates’ compelling work throughout the state.
A senior with disabilities in Alameda County was taken unconscious to a county hospital in 2018. When he awoke, he told the hospital doctors that he had Medi-Cal and showed them his Medi-Cal card. Ninety days later, he received a bill for more than $40,000, none of which was billed to Medi-Cal. After that, he started receiving calls from a collection agency. He called the hospital and told them repeatedly that he was a Medi-Cal recipient to no avail; the hospital told him he was already in collections and there was nothing they could do. He discovered the bill was affecting his credit when he tried to apply for a loan and received a credit check, at which point he contacted HCA partner, BayLegal.
BayLegal issued a demand letter to the bill collectors and further issued verbal demands that the collection agency complies with California’s Medi-Cal balance billing laws. The collection agency canceled all six of his accounts, returning them to the hospital and zeroing out his balance, and reported the zero balance to the credit reporting agencies.
