California Medi-Cal (Medicaid) Application Guide

Medi-Cal is Medicaid for California. It offers free or low-cost health coverage to people who qualify. It covered nearly 15 million people as of mid-2025. Medi-Cal pays for doctor visits, dental care, eye check-ups, and more. It also covers services that keep you healthy.

Children from birth through age 18 are covered with family income levels up to 266% of FPL (and this includes undocumented immigrant children). Pregnant women with incomes up to 213% of FPL qualify, and nonelderly adults — with or without dependent children — with incomes up to 138% of FPL are eligible. If you were in foster care on your 18th birthday or later, you may qualify for free Medi-Cal until age 26. Your income does not matter.

Long-term care is a service designed to meet a person's health or personal care needs when they are unable to take care of themselves for a long period of time. Many Medicare beneficiaries receive Medicaid financial assistance that can help them with Medicare premiums, lower prescription drug costs, and pay for expenses not covered by Medicare – including long-term care.

The application process for Medicaid in California is integrated with Covered California, the health insurance marketplace. You can apply online on the Covered California website. The process for verifying your Medi-Cal eligibility, from the time your completed application is received to when you receive your Benefits Identification Card (BIC), normally takes 45 days. You must notify the Medi-Cal program or contact your local county office within 10 days of any change. If you have insurance through Covered California, you must report any changes within 30 days.