The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the
Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS’) two requests for
federal waiver authority to help streamline the processing of
annual Medi-Cal eligibility renewals and ease burdens on county
program administrators and Medi-Cal members.
The first flexibility waives the verification requirement for
individuals whose income is at or below 100 percent of the
federal poverty level (FPL) and who meet certain criteria.
The second request granted allows counties greater
flexibility to redetermine eligibility and extend the renewal
date when contact is made with hard-to-reach populations, such as
unhoused individuals, seniors, and persons with disabilities.
Both temporary flexibilities will streamline renewal processing
for Medi-Cal members, especially vulnerable populations, and ease
burdens to provide additional paperwork or documentation during
the continuous coverage unwinding period.
Both waivers are effective on June 1, 2023, and will continue
throughout the continuous coverage unwinding period. On July 3,
DHCS issued
Medi-Cal Eligibility Division Letter (MEDIL) 23-40 to provide
counties with immediate guidance on operationalizing these
flexibilities.
