Medi-Cal users over age 55 are just borrowing

California has turned Medi-Cal into an invisible loan for those over 55 by choosing to pursue an aggressive asset recovery program.

After paying $1,054 a month for health insurance, I’d hoped to find more affordable insurance in 2014. However, when I tried to sign up through Covered California, I was shocked to find I didn’t qualify for any plan and was obliged to go on Medi-Cal. Although I am over 55, Medi-Cal never informed me when I applied that the state could make a claim against my assets to reclaim costs.

Essentially, I would be indebted to the state for every penny spent for my health care, plus monthly managed-care fees, even if I never went to a doctor. I only inadvertently came across this information online.

Additionally, you would not be informed of the actual dollar amount of your debt. It’s unethical that Medi-Cal recipients don’t receive a monthly statement, clearly stating the actual dollar amount of their incurred debt. Instead, they are forced to pay to receive this information.

People who have only slightly more income can qualify for a subsidized health plan through Covered California and are not subject to asset recovery. As asset recovery affects only those over age 55, it smacks of age discrimination.

California is one of the few states that has chosen to target low-income seniors by going way beyond what the federal government requires, i.e., recovery only for long-term care costs.

I am certain that there are many people new to Medi-Cal who still have no idea they have signed on for an invisible loan.

There is now a bill (SB1124) that would limit recovery to what is required by federal law, allowing people to have health insurance without jeopardizing their estates. Anyone who is over 55 and new to Medi-Cal deserves to know the facts.