Supporting A Healthy Workforce
October 19, 2023
by John Baackes
As a convener of thought leaders in the Los Angeles community, we are pleased to welcome John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, as the guest author of this week’s Business Perspective.
Did you know that 61% of adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are not elderly or disabled work? Most of them work full-time, usually in small businesses that can’t afford to offer health insurance to their employees, and Medi-Cal helps to keep those employees healthy. Now, the health of that workforce is threatened by the Medi-Cal renewal process, which resumed after three years when the COVID-19 public health emergency ended.
While some of the nearly 16 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal will be automatically renewed, about 75% will be required to fill out renewal paperwork that is being delivered in a yellow envelope. The problem is many people moved during the last three years. If beneficiaries didn’t update their information with their county or state, they might not receive a renewal packet. Ultimately, they could lose health coverage if they don’t fill out renewal forms in time.
This impacts all of us. Many of these beneficiaries may not even know they have lost coverage until they try to refill a prescription or make a doctor’s appointment. It’s tragic for these people as it will take time to reapply and regain coverage. During that time, they may have to pay out of pocket or forgo care. Due to this, businesses could lose employees to illness and if they end up in the emergency room, that costly care will ultimately lead to increased health care costs for everyone.
Since every beneficiary’s renewal date is different, it will take a year to get through all of the renewals. If you have employees who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries, ask them if they have received their renewal packet. If they haven’t, urge them to go to benefitscal.com to find out when they are due for renewal. Giving Medi-Cal beneficiaries the information they need to stay covered means better health for them and all of California.
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