How to Apply for Medi-Cal

There are multiple ways to enroll in Medi-Cal. The sections below are additional resources on how to help families enroll.

In person with enrollment assistance

Download this enrollment assistance directory created by California Coverage and Health Initiatives to find help in your area.

County office or county website

The County Welfare offices and websites can help families with different immigration statuses.

Online via Covered California

Covered California online enrollment website is for both Medi-Cal and Covered California applicants. It is currently making several modifications to better serve immigrant families. These changes are scheduled to occur by May 16.
Review Steps to Enroll in Medi-Cal.
Visit the Covered California website. Complete your application online or print and mail it in.
Call Covered California directly to apply at 1(800) 300-1506.

When applying for Medi-Cal, bring as many of the following items as you can, but not all items are required for enrollment.

Proof of Identity (only one of the following is needed)
- California Driver’s License or ID
- Passport (regardless of the country of origin)
- Marriage record
- Social Security Card (if available)
- Divorce decree
- School identification card
- Work badge
- Birth certificate
- Church membership or baptismal confirmation certificate

Proof of Income (only one of the following is needed)
- Most recent pay stub
- Most recent federal income tax return (Tax Form 1040)
- Employer statement
- If the family does not have proof of income, they can also self-attest.

Proof of California Residency (only one of the following is needed)
- A recent rent receipt
- A telephone or electric bill
- A current California Driver’s License or ID
- Evidence that the child has been enrolled in a California school
- Medi-Cal cards of other family members (if applicable)

For more information, California’s 2-1-1 Information and Referral Service connects families to needed benefits by providing timely, effective access to accurate and comprehensive information and referral for families, including health coverage. By dialing 2-1-1, information is available day and night, all year long. California 211 provides bilingual services and it is free.

The Department of Health Care Services has information to help people who are applying for Medi-Cal in Information for Pending Applicants and Newly Enrolled Medi-Cal Members.

Getting and Keeping Health Care Coverage for Low-Income Californians: A Guide for Advocates, written by the Western Center on Law and Poverty provides California advocates—legal services attorneys, enrollment counselors, health care workers, community organizers and others—with the relevant laws, regulations, and guidance needed to help Californians get health care coverage. This guide provides those in the field with the support needed to help determine income eligibility, and to help families enroll and keep coverage. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback on the content of this guide, please contact HealthCareAdvocateGuide@wclp.org.

The County Welfare Director’s Association has established a list of contacts at each County Welfare Department to help immigrant Californians with problems related to Medi-Cal enrollment. This is not intended to be a list of people to help with enrollment, but rather a list of people who could help if you or your enroller runs into problems. This list includes people or places that undocumented adults, children, and Deferred Action recipients who experience difficulties in the Medi-Cal application process can contact. The list is subject to change. If you are having issues contacting your specified county liaison, please contact Assmaa Elayyat at aelayyat@cwda.org.