Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Free or low-cost health coverage for children and families
If you or your children are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and you are also eligible for employer sponsored health coverage through a plan such as the Multi Union Security Trust Fund, you may be eligible for premium assistance programs that are provided by some states.
These states use funds from their Medicaid or CHIP programs to provide this assistance. California’s version of the federal Medicaid and CHIP premium assistance program is called Medi-Cal.
If you or your children are not eligible for Medi-Cal, you will not be eligible for premium assistance.
If you or your dependents are already enrolled in Medi-Cal, you can contact your Medi-Cal office to find out if premium assistance is available.
If you or your dependents are NOT currently enrolled in Medi-Cal and you think you or any of your dependents might be eligible for premium assistance, you can contact your Medi-Cal office. Dial (877) KIDS-NOW or visit www.insurekidsnow.gov to learn how to apply. If you qualify, you can ask the state if it has a program that might help you pay the premiums for an employer-sponsored plan.
Once it is determined that you or your dependents are eligible for premium assistance under Medi-Cal and are also eligible under your employer-sponsored plan, your employer must permit you and your dependents to enroll in your employer-sponsored plan if you are eligible. This is called a “special enrollment” opportunity. You must request coverage within 60 days of being determined eligible for premium assistance.
If you have questions about which states have premium assistance programs or require information on special enrollment rights, contact the U.S. Department of Labor at askebsa.dol.gov or call (866) 444- EBSA (3272). You can also contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at cms.hhs.gov or (877) 267-2323, ext. 61565.
