Is Medi-Cal part of the Affordable Care Act?
Asked by: Dr. Deangelo Jaskolski | Last update: October 2, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (17 votes)
Does Medi-Cal fall under the Affordable Care Act?
Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medi-Cal served low-income families and children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Under the ACA, California lawmakers expanded the program to include low-income adults without children or a qualifying disability starting in 2014.
What insurance does Medi-Cal fall under?
Medi-Cal is California's version of the Federal Medicaid program.
What is included in the Affordable Care Act?
A set of 10 categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. These include doctors' services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy and childbirth, mental health services, and more.
Is Medi-Cal assistance the same as the Affordable Care Act?
Obamacare is just another word for the ACA, but it's often used to describe the private health insurance plans that people purchase through each state's health insurance exchange. Medicaid is a government-run program for low-income Americans.
What Is Medi-Cal? (Part 1)
What is the Affordable Care Act in California?
Healthcare reform makes health coverage available and more affordable for millions of Americans. It gives subsidies for those who purchase private insurance and California expanded Medi-Cal to include more people and single adults.
What is not included in the Affordable Care Act?
What Benefits Does the Affordable Care Act Not Cover? The Affordable Care Act does leave two forms of insurance for adults out of its provisions — vision insurance and dental coverage. Although both of these services are considered essential benefits for children under the ACA, they are not included for adults.
How do I know if I have the Affordable Care Act?
Check for Premium Tax Credits and Cost-Sharing Reductions
If you receive automatic financial help to pay for your coverage, you probably have an Obamacare plan. The ACA lets plan members apply for two types of assistance: premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.
Who is eligible for ACA benefits?
All full-time permanent, full-time nonpermanent and ongoing variable-hour, part-time and seasonal employees are eligible for benefits. If an employee is full-time or meets the 30-hour eligibility requirement, he should be offered benefits.
What disqualifies you from Medi-Cal?
To qualify, you must: Meet the medical requirements of Social Security's definition of disability. Be working and earning income (this can be part-time work). Have countable income less than 250% of the federal poverty level (in 2024, this equates to $3,158/mo.
Who is not eligible for Obamacare?
Must live in the United States. Must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present). Learn about eligible immigration statuses. Cannot be incarcerated in prison or jail.
What is the best Medi-Cal health plan?
OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 19, 2023 – Kaiser Permanente Northern California's Medi-Cal health plan is the highest rated in the state for quality care, according to a December 2022 report from the state's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
What plan is Medi-Cal under?
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid health care program. This program pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources.
Is Covered California by the Affordable Care Act?
Obamacare health plans are available through the federally run HealthCare.gov health insurance exchange for residents of some states. Other states, like California, offer Obamacare health insurance plans through state-run exchanges. Covered California is the state's Obamacare exchange.
Is Medicare part of the Affordable Care Act?
Medicare isn't part of the Health Insurance Marketplace ®, so if you have Medicare coverage now you don't need to do anything. The Marketplace won't affect your Medicare choices or benefits.
Can I refuse health insurance from my employer and get Obamacare?
Obamacare is available to everyone, whether or not their employers offer insurance. From a practical standpoint, though, there are financial consequences to doing this. Often, an employer subsidizes part or all of their employees' coverage.
Do I qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidy?
Who is eligible for an ACA subsidy? Subsidy eligibility is based on income (ACA-specific MAGI). To qualify for a subsidy, a household must have an income of at least 100% of the federal poverty level (or above 138% of the federal poverty level in states that have expanded Medicaid).
What is the 30 hour rule for ACA?
Definition of full-time employee
For purposes of the employer shared responsibility provisions, a full-time employee is, for a calendar month, an employee employed on average at least 30 hours of service per week, or 130 hours of service per month.
What counts as income for Medi-Cal?
Income is considered when determining Medi-Cal eligibility. Income includes things such as, earnings from a job, unemployment benefits, disability benefits, self-employment income, retirement benefits, interest on assets, child or spousal support, and other means of income or support.
Who is covered under the Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, gives most uninsured people in the U.S. access to health insurance as long as they are U.S. citizens who live in the country or noncitizens who are lawfully present, not incarcerated, and not covered by Medicare.
What happens to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act?
To offset the financial burden of covering more individuals, the Affordable Care Act stipulates that the federal government will cover the full cost of Medicaid expansion for each state, with a stepwise decrease in federal government cost sharing down to 90% in 2020.
How do I check Medi-Cal eligibility?
You can call or visit your local Medi-Cal office to update your personal information or ask for assistance. The Department of Health Care Services (www.dhcs.ca.gov) lists on its website all county Medi-Cal agencies, with addresses, phone numbers, and links. You can also call Medi-Cal's help line (800-541-5555).
What if my income is too high for Medi-Cal?
If your income is too high for Medi-Cal, you may qualify to purchase health insurance through Covered California. Covered California offers “premium assistance.” It helps lower the cost of health care for individuals and families who enroll in a Covered California health plan and meet income rules.