Key Takeaways
The report makes eight recommendations:
- Strengthen federal exemptions and state flexibilities that remove barriers to renewal.
- Expand access to Medi-Cal call centers across the board and establish dedicated statewide centers for people experiencing homelessness.
- Build deeper partnerships between the state Department of Health Care Services and California’s Continuum of Care.
A federal mandate ensured continued Medicaid enrollment and prevented millions from losing their coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mandate expired on March 31, 2023, marking the beginning of a “release” period when Californians had to go through their annual Medicaid renewal process for the first time in three years. More than 15 million residents were required to reenroll, making the process particularly challenging for homeless people.
Because homelessness is dynamic, maintaining up-to-date contact information can be difficult, renewal paperwork and notices may not be received, and people may be disenrolled due to procedural issues. Recognizing this, the California Department of Health Services (DHCS) has conducted extensive outreach and policy adjustments to mitigate unjustified disenrollment. To complement these efforts, Home Base is running a statewide Medi-Cal Renewal Outreach Campaign In August 2023, we will specifically help homeless people maintain their Medicare coverage.
The end of the clearance period will provide an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned and implement strategies to ensure ongoing support for homeless people. Improving Medicare Renewal for Homeless People (PDF)Homebase offers eight key recommendations to DHCS and other stakeholders to help homeless people maintain their Medicare coverage and strengthen interdepartmental collaboration between DHCS and homeless assistance systems.
