How to Join

There are four ways to apply for Medi-Cal: 

1. Online- Visit CoveredCA.com. To get started, you will need to create an account. 
    
2. By Phone- Call the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services at 1-866-613-3777, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
    
3. By Mail- Print the Single Streamlined Application at Covered California and submit via mail to your local county office.
    
4. In Person- Make an appointment at one of the L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Community Resource Centers (CRC), or visit your nearest county office. 

L.A. Care is here to help and representatives are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you would like to sit down with an application assister at one of our CRCs to complete your application or have your questions answered, call us today at 1-877-287-6290. You will be connected with your local CRC to schedule an appointment. You can also visit our CRC website for more information. 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services will send you a notice in the mail to let you know if you qualify for Medi-Cal. If you qualify, you will receive a Medi-Cal benefits identification card (BIC). You will separately receive an enrollment packet with a Medi-Cal Choice Form from Health Care Options (HCO). 

Once you receive your Medi-Cal Choice Form from HCO, you will need to complete the following steps: 

1. Choose your health plan from the options listed on the choice form. To choose L.A. Care Health Plan, you will need to select L.A. Care Health Plan as your primary plan and select L.A. Care Health Plan as the plan partner. 
2. Fill in the information for your primary care provider (PCP). To find a L.A. Care Health Plan PCP, you can: 
   1. Go to the L.A. Care online provider directory, select primary care physician or primary care clinic from the Provider Type drop down menu, then select Find a Provider to view a list of PCPs to choose from. You can also filter by location, gender, provider name, language, or hospital affiliation.
       
   2. Call L.A. Care at 1-888-4LA-CARE (1-888-452-2273) to speak with a L.A. Care Health Plan representative Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 
       
   3. Once you have chosen your PCP, write in the PCP’s NPI or Doctor Code on line 15 of your Medi-Cal Choice Form. 
       
3. Complete all other sections on your Medi-Cal Choice Form, sign, and date. For additional guidance on filling out the form, read How to Fill Out the Medi-Cal Choice Form.
    
4. Mail your Medi-Cal Choice Form back to the address listed on the form in the envelope provided. Once you are enrolled, L.A. Care will send you a welcome packet in the mail.