How do I choose a Medi-Cal managed care plan?

Children without a private primary insurer will be enrolled in a Medi-Cal managed care plan such as HealthNet or LA Care and its contracted programs, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. Kaiser may be available on a limited basis, generally only to current and recent Kaiser patients. Available plans vary depending on your county. Managed care plans can be used as secondary insurance if families enroll in the same Medi-Cal HMO as their primary insurance (if it is available in their county). In these cases, Medi-Cal typically covers what the primary insurance doesn’t. There are some great online resources to help you choose the right managed care plan as your child’s sole insurance coverage. You can use the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to:

• Compare up to three health care or dental plans.

• Find information on standard benefits, pharmacies, urgent care centers, and more.

• Search for a specific provider or hospital to see if they accept a Medi-Cal managed care plan.

• Get contact information for each provider.

For more information, check out our article Making the Most of Medi-Cal.