As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, a federal mandate ensured continuous Medicaid enrollment, shielding millions from losing coverage. This mandate ended on March 31, 2023, marking the beginning of an “unwinding” period where, for the first time in three years, Californians had to navigate the annual Medi-Cal renewal process. With over 15 million residents needing to reenroll, the process posed significant challenges, particularly for people experiencing homelessness.

The transient nature of homelessness complicates maintaining up-to-date contact information, often resulting in missed renewal packets and notices, leading to potential disenrollment due to procedural issues. Recognizing this, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) undertook extensive outreach and policy adjustments to mitigate wrongful disenrollment. Complementing these efforts, Homebase launched a statewide Medi-Cal Renewals Outreach Campaign in August 2023 to specifically support people experiencing homelessness in retaining their Medi-Cal coverage.

As the unwinding period concludes, it presents an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned and to implement strategies to ensure continuous coverage for those experiencing homelessness. In Improving Medi-Cal Renewals for People Experiencing Homelessness (PDF), Homebase outlines eight key recommendations for DHCS and other stakeholders to ensure people experiencing homelessness maintain Medi-Cal coverage and to enhance cross-sector coordination between DHCS and homeless support systems.