Coverage Ambassador Webinar Questions and Answers
Renovaciones semestrales
24de septiembre de 2026
Revised for clarity, consistency, plain language, and DHCS style. Substantive meaning preserved.
Who is considered part of the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) New Adult Group?
The MAGI New Adult Group is a Medi-Cal eligibility category created under the Affordable Care Act. It includes adults ages 19 through 64 with income below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Parents with children under age 19 may qualify under another Medi-Cal program that has a lower income limit and is not subject to six-month renewals.
Is it possible to have two different renewal dates within the same household? For example, in a two-person household consisting of a parent with income above 109 percent but below 138 percent of the federal poverty level and a child, would the parent renew every six months while the child renews every 12 months?
Yes. Individuals in the same household may have different renewal dates because renewal cycles are based on each person’s eligibility category. Some members will renew every six months, while others will remain on an annual, 12-month renewal cycle.
Can a renewal be completed online, or must it be submitted on paper?
A renewal may be completed online, by phone with a county eligibility worker, or on paper. Members who choose to renew online may use BenefitsCal.com or CoveredCA.com.
If children remain on a 12-month renewal cycle, how will renewals work when they are enrolled in the same Medi-Cal plan as a caregiver who is on a six-month renewal cycle?
The caregiver who is in the New Adult Group will be placed on a six-month renewal cycle, while the child will retain a separate 12-month renewal date. Renewals will be completed at the individual level rather than the case level. The renewal form cover page will identify which household member must complete the renewal.
How will BenefitsCal change for members who renew online?
BenefitsCal is being updated to support members transitioning to six-month renewals. Members will be able to complete renewals through a guided online flow that includes information related to six-month renewals, work and community engagement requirement, and the no-income declaration. Members will also be able to upload renewal packets completed on paper or electronically.
In mixed households, will eligibility be redetermined only for household members whose renewals are due, or will counties use information reported in the renewal packet to evaluate the entire household?
The renewal applies to the individual whose renewal is due. However, changes reported during a six-month or 12-month renewal will be applied to other affected household members. For example, a reported income change may affect eligibility determinations for other household members. Protected coverage categories will not be affected before their applicable protection period ends. Children remain protected under Continuous Eligibility for Children until their next annual renewal, and postpartum individuals remain protected through the end of the postpartum coverage period.
If a MAGI household is based on tax-filer status, how can household members have different renewal schedules?
Tax-filer status determines MAGI household composition, but each person may qualify under a different eligibility category, or aid code. MAGI eligibility categories have different income limits based on age and other circumstances. As a result, people may be part of the same Medi-Cal household while receiving coverage under different eligibility categories. Only individuals in the MAGI New Adult Group are subject to six-month renewals; household members in other eligibility categories will continue to renew annually.
Does the no-income declaration in the updated renewal form mean members will no longer need to submit a separate affidavit to report zero income?
Yes. A completed no-income declaration on the renewal form serves as the member’s affidavit, so a separate affidavit will not be required.
How can enrollers identify members who renew every six months rather than every 12 months? Are there specific Medi-Cal aid codes?
MAGI New Adult Group members are generally identified by aid codes M1, M2, 1C, 1J, and 1M. The group also includes individuals in the Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program New Adult Group with aid codes K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, K7, K8, K9, N5, N6, N7, and N8.
Can Medi-Cal members view their renewal date and related information through BenefitsCal?
Yes. Members with a BenefitsCal account can view renewal information and other case details in the portal.
Can ambassadors encourage members to use BenefitsCal before directing them to their local county office?
Yes. Ambassadors may encourage members to check BenefitsCal before contacting their local county office. Ambassadors should also remind members to link their active Medi-Cal case to their BenefitsCal account.
Will the Notice of Action sent to members who pass ex parte review be updated to show who will renew in six months and who will renew in 12 months?
Members whose eligibility is renewed through ex parte review will receive a notice of approval. Notices of Action have been updated to reflect each individual’s next renewal date. Each notice will identify when that person’s next renewal is due.
Is DHCS planning to give providers, including behavioral health and medical treatment providers, access to members’ redetermination dates so they can assist with renewals?
DHCS is working with managed care plans and system partners on enhancements to improve how member renewal dates are transmitted and displayed in support of outreach and renewal assistance. Renewal information must be shared consistent with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements. DHCS will communicate specific details about provider access as they become available.
For people experiencing homelessness who do not have a mailing address, can a community-based organization obtain MC 216 forms to assist them?
Community-based organizations may access Medi-Cal renewal forms on the DHCS website. Forms may be printed from the website, or a member may request a paper form from the local county office. A form printed from the DHCS website will not be prepopulated with the member’s current information.
Will the MAGI New Adult Group have new aid codes?
Current guidance identifies existing MAGI New Adult Group aid codes M1, M2, 1C, 1J, and 1M as subject to six-month renewals. The group also includes individuals in the Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program New Adult Group with aid codes K2, K3, K4, K5, K6, K7, K8, K9, N5, N6, N7, and N8.
How will members learn about Coverage Ambassadors and how to contact them? Will outreach occur by phone, in person, by email, or by text?
Coverage Ambassadors and community-based organizations are encouraged to conduct outreach through the channels that best reach the communities they serve. County eligibility departments may also partner with community-based organizations based on local business needs. The Medi-Cal Resources webpage provides customizable materials that ambassadors and organizations can use to explain Medi-Cal coverage, enrollment, benefits, renewals, and available programs, while making members aware of the assistance ambassadors provide.
How can ambassadors advocate for members with county social services offices when members receive inconsistent case information? May ambassadors become authorized representatives to help resolve issues and obtain information?
A Medi-Cal member may appoint an individual or organization as an authorized representative. The member may complete the Authorized Representative Form, MC 382, by phone, online, or in person and must specify the extent to which the representative may act on the member’s behalf.
What does ex parte mean?
Ex parte is the process counties use to attempt to renew or redetermine Medi-Cal eligibility using information already available through electronic data sources and case records, without contacting the member. If the county can confirm eligibility through ex parte review, it completes the renewal automatically and the member does not need to act. If eligibility cannot be confirmed, the county will send a renewal form or request additional information.
Can ambassadors with a community-based organization BenefitsCal account complete a renewal with a member through the ambassador’s portal?
Community-based organization BenefitsCal accounts allow organizations to submit applications, upload documents for application processing, and check application status on behalf of a customer. At this time, those accounts cannot complete case-maintenance actions such as renewals. Organizations should direct members to their own BenefitsCal accounts or local county offices for renewal-related actions.
Is information available about where counties are in processing renewals? Some members who renewed in June show a 90-day cure period on the health plan site, while BenefitsCal shows the renewal as received and processing.
BenefitsCal will display the most accurate renewal status because it is directly linked to the county eligibility system. Ambassadors may find county-specific renewal processing statistics on the DHCS Medi-Cal Enrollment and Renewal webpage. DHCS is also researching options for sharing more current renewal information with providers in a format that is publicly available.
If a household has multiple family members but only one is asked to renew, will the renewal packet request income information only for that person, or for other household members such as a spouse or child?
Although the renewal applies only to the individual whose renewal is due, the form may request household income and other information needed to determine that individual’s ongoing eligibility. Members should review and update the requested income and household information for all applicable household members. Reported changes may be evaluated as changes in circumstance for other household members, consistent with existing Medi-Cal policy.
When will BenefitsCal introduce the release-of-information dashboard that allows assisters to access members’ renewal dates?
BenefitsCal is working to implement release-of-information functionality. Based on the latest update, the earliest date this functionality may be available to community-based organizations is March 2027.
When will the updated renewal forms be available online?
The updated MC 216 will be available for county use beginning in January 2027. DHCS is finalizing a website version that meets Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility requirements and will provide updates when it becomes available.
Will the 90-day cure period still apply when a member submits a renewal late?
Yes. The six-month renewal provision does not change existing 90-day cure period rules or policies. A Medi-Cal member discontinued for not providing required information has 90 days after discontinuance to submit the missing information, which must be treated as timely. This policy applies to both MAGI and Non-MAGI Medi-Cal.
Will asset information still be included in the renewal form? What should members do if outdated information is prepopulated?
For MAGI renewals, the updated MC 216 will prepopulate information already available to the county, including contact, household, income, tax, and other eligibility information. It does not include a prepopulated asset section. If MAGI and Non-MAGI members in the same household must renew at the same time, the household will receive the MC 217, which includes asset information as required. Members should review all prepopulated information and correct anything that is outdated or inaccurate. They should also submit any required verification. Counties must use the most current available information when determining ongoing eligibility.
Will the no-income declaration also be added to the new Medi-Cal application?
DHCS has not issued guidance indicating that the no-income declaration will be added to the Medi-Cal application. Current guidance addresses only the updated MC 216 renewal form. DHCS will provide additional information through future form and policy guidance as it becomes available.
Will six-month renewals apply to the justice-involved population, including incarcerated adults ages 19 and older, or will this population remain on a 12-month renewal cycle?
The CalAIM Justice-Involved Reentry Initiative provides up to 90 days of benefits under a justice-involved aid code and is not subject to six-month or annual renewals. Incarcerated individuals in the MAGI New Adult Group are subject to the six-month renewal policy, but renewals are not required during incarceration for a single-person Medi-Cal household. After release, individuals are subject to standard Medi-Cal policies and procedures, including six-month renewals if they are enrolled in the MAGI New Adult Group.
If a parent’s income exceeds the MAGI income limit and the parent is found eligible under a Non-MAGI program, will the parent renew annually?
Yes. If the parent is ineligible for MAGI coverage because of income but qualifies under a Non-MAGI program, the parent will transition to the applicable Non-MAGI aid category and that program’s standard 12-month renewal cycle. The six-month renewal requirement no longer applies after the individual leaves the MAGI New Adult Group.
Will incarcerated individuals in the MAGI New Adult Group be subject to six-month renewals?
Yes. However, renewals are not required during incarceration for single-person Medi-Cal households. Renewals remain required for households that include both incarcerated and non-incarcerated members. Individuals enrolled through the State or County Medi-Cal Inmate Eligibility Program, State Medical Parole, or County Compassionate Release or Medical Probation programs who establish eligibility under the MAGI New Adult Group are subject to six-month renewals.
Is the 90-day cure period being reduced to 30 days for MAGI New Adult Group members and 60 days for other populations?
No. The six-month renewal provision does not change existing 90-day cure period rules or policies. A Medi-Cal member discontinued for not providing required information has 90 days after discontinuance to submit the missing information, which must be treated as timely. This policy applies to both MAGI and Non-MAGI Medi-Cal.
Must county eligibility workers request a separate no-income affidavit when a member completes the no-income declaration on the renewal form?
No. A completed no-income declaration on the renewal form serves as the member’s affidavit of zero income. Consistent with existing Medi-Cal verification policy, the county should first rely on electronic and other available verification sources. The county should request additional verification or a sworn statement only when the reported income is not reasonably compatible with available information.
Regarding the upcoming transition of members with Unsatisfactory Immigration Status to fee-for-service, is there a pathway for a for-profit, non-clinical organization to enroll and bill Medi-Cal fee-for-service directly? If so, can DHCS share applicable guidance and enrollment resources?
Information about enrolling as a Medi-Cal fee-for-service provider, including how to contact the Provider Enrollment Division, is available on the DHCS Provider Enrollment Division webpage.
Can DHCS provide more information about the Authorized Representative Forms, MC 382 and MC 383, and whether providers are encouraged to complete these forms with members to support timely renewals?
The six-month renewal policy does not change the existing authorized representative process. The MC 382 allows a Medi-Cal member to designate an individual or organization to act on the member’s behalf in eligibility and renewal matters. If the member appoints an organization, the MC 383 is also required. Members may submit completed forms to their county. DHCS has not issued guidance encouraging or requiring providers to complete these forms as part of the six-month renewal process. Providers, managed care plans, and community-based organizations may continue to inform members about the option and assist members who choose to designate an authorized representative.
Can members in the MAGI New Adult Group still qualify based on annual income? Will a new application require six months of income instead of one month, and how will this work at intake?
The six-month renewal requirement does not eliminate MAGI eligibility based on annual income or require applicants to provide six months of income. The change affects how often eligibility is redetermined for individuals in the MAGI New Adult Group; it does not change the underlying MAGI eligibility methodology. Current guidance states that six-month renewals follow existing renewal procedures and does not require applicants to submit six months of income to establish eligibility.