Know Your Rights: Consumer Health Coverage Info

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DHCS Cultural Competency Postcard – During COVID-19
CULTURAL COMPETENCE (PART 1) Cultural Competence is a foundational pillar for reducing health disparities through culturally sensitive and unbiased quality care. In the wake of COVID-19, culturally competent approaches to care are more necessary than ever.

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Publication
Internal and External Review: Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans Managed Care in California Series Issue No. 4 (Revised July 2025)
Federal and state law and the state and federal Constitutions require that enrollees in Medi-Cal managed care plans receive notice, and grievance and appeal rights when they are denied access to medically necessary services. Frequently, however, enrollees fail to receive the required notice, get an inadequate notice, or do not understand their right to appeal the plan’s decision. This issue brief will provide an overview of the rules and processes for notice, grievances, and appeals that apply to Medi-Cal plans. Download publication.
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Consumer Brochure
What is the Health Consumer Alliance (HCA)?
The HCA is a network of ten consumer assistance programs operated by community-based legal services organizations across the state of California. The HCA offers free assistance online, over-the-phone or in-person at independent, community-based offices throughout the state, helping people who are struggling to get or maintain health coverage and resolve problems with their health plans. We also provide statewide policy advocacy to resolve systemic health care issues impacting Californians.
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Publication
Health Care Practice Tip – January 2025 Accessing Health Care After Surviving a Disaster
After disasters in California, survivors may need extra assistance to access health care. Fortunately, several consumer-friendly protections help survivors access the services, supplies, and care that they need. Read on for special rights and remedies available to survivors seeking prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment, physician and specialist care, eligibility and coverage, health plan enrollment changes, and more.
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Publication
More Patient Protections for Hospital Billing in 2022 (WCLP)
Our Health Care Practice Tip this month details these changes and more. One common unlawful provision found in many hospitals’ fair pricing policies is a specific time period to apply, often set at 150 days. These deadlines violate the Hospital Fair Pricing Act, which allows patients to apply for charity care or discounted payments at any time, without time limit.  Meanwhile, hospitals may still commence collection activity after the statutory time period has passed. The Health Care Practice Tip explains this issue.
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Publication
Durable Medical Equipment – The Basics for California Advocates
This resource from Justice In Aging provides an overview of durable medical equipment (DME) coverage in California, including common eligibility requirements, authorization rules, and advocacy strategies. Learn how Medi-Cal and other health coverage programs address medical equipment needs and how advocates can help consumers access medically necessary devices and supplies.
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Publication
Durable Medical Equipment The Basics for California Advocates
DME describes the equipment and supports an individual needs to help with health issues. When figuring out if something is DME, there are three quick clues. First, it must be durable, meaning it has to be reusable. Second, it has to be medical in nature, meaning, it has to be prescribed by someone, generally, a doctor. And third, it has to be some form of equipment, so it cannot be medication or services
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Web Page
More Patient Protections for Hospital Billing in 2022
Many Californians, whether insured, underinsured, or uninsured, are carrying the burdens of medical debt in their lives, especially after utilizing hospital or emergency care services. Learn more here.
 Jen Flory, Western Center Policy Advocate, & Helen Tran, Western Center Staff Attorney
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Fact Sheet
Health Care Practice Tip – Accessing Health Care After Surviving a Disaster (January 2025)
After disasters in California, survivors may need extra assistance to access health care. Fortunately, several consumer-friendly protections help survivors access the services, supplies, and care that they need. Read on for special rights and remedies available to survivors seeking prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment, physician and specialist care, eligibility and coverage, health plan enrollment changes, and more.
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Web Page
Protect Medicaid Funding Series (2024)
Medicaid helps people live healthier and more economically secure lives. It increases the diagnosis and early treatment of chronic conditions, enhances educational achievement and future earnings for covered children, reduces health care inequities, and provides comprehensive, high-quality, and cost-effective care. In an updated series of fact sheets, NHeLP outlines the importance of Medicaid related to various populations groups and services Medicaid covers. In particular, the fact sheets focus on how funding caps in particular would impact Medicaid. The data from the “Medicaid Fast Facts” document and information from the 14 fact sheets emphasize the vital nature Medicaid plays in ensuring the health of those enrolled as well as their communities and states. A companion blog to this series can be found here.
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Document Fact Sheet
Know Your Rights: Access to Health Care for TGI Californians (2026)
National Law Health Program has released this fact sheet on the recent Federal Executive Orders have purported to limit coverage of gender affirming care, especially for Transgender, Gender Diverse, and Intersex (TGI) people, especially youth. Several of these Executive Orders have been challenged in the courts, and parts of them have been enjoined. There is no change to the law in California. Read more here!
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Fact Sheet
Health Care Practice Tip: Medi-Cal Immigrant Eligibility Changes in 2026
Western Center on Law & Poverty has developed this comprehensive health care practice tip on the Medi-Cal eligibility challenges for immigrants beginning January 1, 2026. Several changes harm people differently depending on their age and immigration status. Until California’s elected officials reverse these harmful cuts, this Practice Tip provides information and strategy ideas to help immigrants access the health care that they need.    
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Fact Sheet
Upcoming Medi-Cal Cuts Don’t Apply to Immigrant Foster Youth, Nonminor Dependents, and Former Foster Youth (NHeLP, CLC)

National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and the Children’s Law Center (CLC) of California have developed this fact sheet, Upcoming Medi-Cal Cuts Don’t Apply to Immigrant Foster Youth, Nonminor Dependents, and Former Foster Youth. In it, they explain how certain immigrant populations will continue to receive full-scope coverage despite substantial cuts to Medi-Cal eligibility and services for immigrant communities. Foster youth, nonminor dependents, and former foster youth up to age 26 are exempt from these changes. These populations should continue to receive full-scope Medi-Cal without premiums or additional requirements. 

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