Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, provides health coverage to Californians with low incomes, including families with children, adults, seniors, people with disabilities, pregnant people, and many more. But, due to low adult literacy rates in California and complex program rules, many adults that Medi-Cal serves may not be able to read or understand the forms and documents they receive from the program. This includes the What You Need to Know When You Apply for and Enroll in Medi-Cal (PDF) document that the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and county offices provide to all Medi-Cal applicants and over six million households yearly. (DHCS is the state agency that oversees and administers Medi-Cal.) This document is important, as it is the primary written notice that explains Medi-Cal rights and responsibilities to applicants and enrollees. To improve the readability and understandability of What You Need to Know (also known as MC 219), a project assessed, reviewed, and revised it based on best health literacy practices and on findings from user testing in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin. This report, intended for Medi-Cal staff and administrators, advocates, and stakeholders across California, focuses on that process, the resulting outcomes, and recommendations to consider when modifying or creating future communications for Medi-Cal enrollees. It also builds on the lessons and recommendations of Plain and Clear: Making Medi-Cal Communications Easy to Understand, a report documenting an earlier phase of this project in which four Medi-Cal enrollee-facing communications were assessed and revised.
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