Immigrants with temporary or no legal status who enrolled in Medi-Cal before January 2026 can still keep their full benefits under California’s state-funded expansion of Medicaid. But to stay covered, recipients must renew their Medi-Cal before their individual deadline.
El Tecolote talked to staff and leaders at community clinics as well as city and nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting public health. Here’s what they highlighted is important to know about the renewal process:
Know your renewal deadline
Every year, Medi-Cal recipients are generally expected to renew their coverage. The San Francisco Human Services Agency (HSA) says they try to carry out those renewals without requiring patient involvement. But when they are unsuccessful, recipients are required to renew their coverage on their own before a certain date.
Patients in San Francisco can anticipate this renewal deadline by checking their BenefitsCal account online or by either calling the city’s Human Service Agency (HSA) or the San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP). That way, they can keep an eye out for renewal forms the state will mail out, or a notice from HSA letting them know their coverage was renewed for another year.
Update your contact information
As part of the renewal process, Medi-Cal will mail a renewal packet to the address they have on record. This means that if you moved and forgot to update your address, you might miss your packet, leading you to accidentally lose coverage.
In San Francisco, residents can call (855) 355-5757 or visit their Benefits portal to update their personal information.
Some community clinics offer their patients the option to list their primary clinic’s address. That way, if people are housing insecure or live in places where mail regularly gets lost, the clinic can save a copy of the renewal packet and contact patients after it arrives.
Follow the instructions in your renewal packet
Those who receive a renewal packet in the mail will find a yellow envelope containing a renewal form as well as requests for verification documents, such as proof of income.
Once Medi-Cal recipients complete the form and collect their requested verifications, they can submit it:
- Online, through their BenefitsCal portal
- Via email, at: SFMedi-Cal@sfgov.org
- Via phone, at: (855) 355-5757
- In person, at one of HSA’s Service Centers
The renewal packet also notes a deadline, which is different for each person. To keep their Medi-Cal active, recipients must apply for a renewal by that date. After that, Medi-Cal has a 90-day grace period where you can submit your renewal form before you are fully unenrolled and have to apply again.
Because of current state policies, undocumented immigrants are not able to apply for Medi-Cal, making meeting these deadlines crucial.
Get help if you need it
Across the city, many local clinics offer support for patients who are struggling or need guidance with the renewal process. Several have dedicated bilingual staff that can help people apply for the renewal, locate missing forms or solve any complications that come up during an application.
Patients can call their local clinic to make an appointment with an enrollment specialist. Some also offer drop-in appointments or the option to schedule these appointments in person.
San Francisco has multiple community clinics funded by the city’s Department of Public Health (SFDPH) as well as a number of nonprofit community clinics. Featured in El Tecolote’s coverage of enrollment support staff are:
- Mission Neighborhood Health Center:
- Phone contact: (415) 552-3870
- Mission District location: 40 Shotwell Street
- Excelsior location: 4836 Mission Street
- Family Health Center at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital
- Phone contact: 628-206-5252
- 995 Potrero Avenue
- 5th Floor, Room 518
Prepare for future changes
The enrollment freeze is only the first in a set of policies passed in California last summer aimed to reduce state spending on undocumented immigrants’ healthcare.
In the next few months, these changes will also be implemented:
- July 1, 2026: Dental benefits will no longer be available for immigrants with no or temporary legal status. Health advocates encourage patients to get dental work done before that date.
January 1, 2027: Children and able-bodied adults under 64 will now have to renew their Medi-Cal every six months, as opposed to every year. - July 1, 2027: Undocumented adults under 59 and those with temporary legal status will need to pay $30 monthly premiums to keep their full-scope Medi-Cal plans.