How to Join

Medi-Cal with L.A. Care is free to join if you live in Los Angeles County and qualify. There are no monthly premiums or co-pays!

Not currently covered by Medi-Cal? You will first need to apply for Medi-Cal benefits. Enrollment is year round. Apply and join L.A. Care Health Plan by completing the following 3 steps:

Step 1. Apply for Medi-Cal 

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. 

Step 2. Check your mail 

The Los Angeles 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). 

Step 3. Complete your Medi-Cal Choice Form and choose L.A. Care as your health plan. 

Once you receive the 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.I wish to JOIN selection on form 
  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. 

Already covered by Medi-Cal? You can switch to L.A. Care at any time through one of the following options:

  1. Calling Health Care Options (HCO) at 1-800-430-4263 (TTY 1-800-430-7077), 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and let them know you want L.A. Care as your Medi-Cal plan.
  2. Download and fill out the Medi-Cal Choice Form, then mail it back to the address listed at the top of the form. 

If you have additional questions and would like to speak with a L.A. Care Health Plan representative for more information, call us at 1-888-4LA-CARE (1-888-452-2273) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also message us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to request more info and a callback.