Placer County CalFresh and Medi-Cal recipients impacts from Congressional budget

The end of many emergency procedures in the era of the pandemic

AUBURN, Calif. — After changes to the federal budget passed by Congress earlier this year, Placer County residents receiving CalFresh or Medi-Cal benefits will be affected this spring as many pandemic-era emergency measures expire.

Calfresh: Starting in April 2023, CalFresh Families will stop receiving the monthly COVID-19 supplemental payment, or “emergency benefit,” that they receive. These additional payments began in 2020 during the pandemic and will end in March 2023. Families will feel the impact of the loss in April 2023, when they will only receive their regular CalFresh payments, which will continue to accrue within the first 10 days of each month.

The emergency benefit was an added benefit in addition to the normal CalFresh amounts and represented about $182 per household average per month for Placer County residents during a federal public health emergency. The resulting decrease in CalFresh EBT spending could also affect local groceries and restaurants since CalFresh dollars are generally spent locally and stimulate economic activity.

Although Placer County Human Services does not have the authority to continue emergency benefits after the expiration date, it is important to make sure that we have your most up-to-date information (family size, income, child care, and other costs) in order to get the most benefit for you. Re-verify your account Benefitscal.com.

For those who have questions about the end of emergency benefits, call 1-888-445-1955.

medical

MEDI-CAL: The continuous enrollment provision — which kept people continuously enrolled in Medicaid programs during a federal public health emergency — will expire at the end of March 2023, which means California will restart annual eligibility reviews to decide if you or your family member(s) are still Eligible for Medi-Cal health coverage.

It is important that you log into your Benefitscal.com account to make sure that we have your current address, phone number, and email address — along with other updated information — so that you can be reached in a timely manner about your coverage. Letters about Medi-Cal coverage and renewals are expected to be mailed to customers in colorful envelopes in waves starting in April.

“Our team has continued to discuss eligibility factors with clients throughout the course of the pandemic, so we hope this will mitigate the impact of this change,” said Greg Geisler, director of human services. “However, it is still very important to update personal information and stay alert.”

45,000 Placer families

Placer County Human Services is working with state and community partners to ensure that the more than 45,000 families across the county who receive Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or both receive timely notice of these changes, from text messages and emails to social media and in contact with people . Our office can be reached at 1-888-385-5160.

Residents can also call 211 Placer to connect with other community resources for food and healthcare. Families interested in a new application for benefits can visit gethelpplacer.com to verify their eligibility and start the process.

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