Coveredtil26
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Background
In 2013, Children Now launched a massive campaign, Coveredtil26, to ensure ongoing healthcare access for transition age youth in foster care and to educate thousands of young people with lived experience about their coverage options under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The ACA required state Medicaid programs to expand coverage for young people formerly in foster care up to age 26. However, former foster youth turning 21 in 2013 would have experienced a gap in coverage until January 1, 2014, when the Medi-Cal expansion would be enacted. This gap would have been detrimental as many young people in foster care have complex physical, behavioral health, and developmental needs that often persist in adulthood.
In response, Children Now ensured young people formerly in foster care could access the healthcare they need to thrive.
1
We successfully advocated for $2.7 million in state “bridge” funding that allowed young people in foster care turning 21 in the second half of 2013 to remain on Medi-Cal so they could immediately benefit from the ACA requirement and avoid loss of coverage.
2
We launched an extensive, multi-faceted outreach campaign including a youth-friendly website, media coverage, and outreach materials, including public service announcements, that:
- Informed thousands of young people formerly in care of their eligibility for Medi-Cal.
- Raised public awareness of this coverage.
- Educated policymakers about improving enrollment and retention processes for this vulnerable population.
- Provided technical assistance to public agencies and direct service providers.
3
We worked to streamline how youth applied for coverage through the counties until programming changes were made to Covered California so they could apply online through the state.
How to Get Covered Until 26
Former foster youth under age 26 can sign up for Medi-Cal at any time:
Sign up online
- Go to Covered California.
- The online application includes a question about whether anyone applying for health care was in foster care at age 18 or older. If you answer “yes” to this question, you should immediately be enrolled in the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth. If you are only applying for health care for yourself, the online application will not ask you for income and tax information once you answer “yes” to the question. But if you decide to apply online through Covered California you will need to give more information about yourself than you need to give if you apply through the county using the MC 250A form.
Sign up through your county
- Call your local Medi-Cal enrollment office.
- State that you are requesting to enroll in the Medi-Cal Former Foster Youth (FFY) coverage group.
- Say if you were in foster care in another state so that the county will know which state to contact to verify that you were in foster care at 18 or older.
- You DO NOT have to provide proof that you were in foster care at age 18 or older. The county will verify that you were in foster care at age 18 or older.
- Use a simple, one-page form (called the MC 250A) to sign up. Bring this form with you when you go to sign up or ask for it when you go to your Medi-Cal office. You can only use this form if you apply through the county directly.
- Former foster youth do NOT have to provide income information. This is because former foster youth get Medi-Cal no matter how much money they make.
- Former foster youth should be assigned the “4M” aid code.
Additional Resources
Former Foster Youth (FFY) Program
The Former Foster Youth (FFY) Program website provides additional information for young people, counties, providers and other stakeholders on the Medi-Cal program for former foster youth.