Medi-Cal is California's version of the federal Medicaid program. It is not a separate program but is the state-specific name for Medicaid in California.
Here is how the programs relate:
- Federal guidelines, state administration: All states have a Medicaid program that must meet federal requirements, but states are given flexibility to operate their programs and determine eligibility rules.
- Funding: For most eligible residents, the federal government provides matching funds to help California pay for Medi-Cal services.
- State-funded expansion: While federal Medicaid dollars are not used to cover undocumented immigrants, California has used its own state funds to expand Medi-Cal to this population. As described previously, the recent budget-related changes primarily affect this state-funded portion of the program.
- State name: The name "Medi-Cal" is simply the moniker chosen by California to brand its Medicaid program. Other states also use different names for their programs.
