The Department of Health Care Services released data this week on the first month of Medi-Cal coverage redeterminations since federal pandemic-era flexibilities allowing for continued coverage ended.
The data reveals that while only 21% of June redetermination applications resulted in disenrollment from coverage, nearly one in three Latinx Medi-Cal members were dropped from coverage, the highest number of disenrolled individuals out of any racial group and over half of all disenrollments at 53.2%.
Members who speak Spanish as their primary language were even more likely to be discontinued. Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of disenrollments were due to “procedural” reasons, including not returning the application packet, rather than a finding of ineligibility.
Nearly half of Medi-Cal recipients are Latinx and almost 30% are Spanish speakers. Additionally, the state of California currently does not collect specific language or demographic data for Indigenous Mesoamericans who also use the Medi-Cal program.
The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California and the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network urge state health leaders to make additional investments into linguistically and culturally responsive outreach efforts to Latinx and Indigenous Mesoamerican communities to ensure health equity for all Californians.
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