Some 4.6 million people in Los Angeles County have not had to renew their Medi-Cal coverage in three years. Now, many people are getting dropped in the process because of not having their paperwork up-to-date or turned in on time.
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It's estimated that as many as 3 million Californians could lose their insurance.
"In Los Angeles County, tens of thousands of people will lose their Medi-Cal every month," said the Director of Medi-Cal at L.A. Care Health Plan, Phinney Ahn.
She said for many, it's simply a matter of filling out a few forms.
In July, 40,000 people lost their Medi-Cal coverage and a "majority of those were disenrolled due to a procedural reason," Ahn added.
Health Navigator Yoselin Duran says some people get really intimidated by the paperwork package.
"They find all this mail they've been receiving and all these text messages confusing," said Duran, adding that many in the program have forgotten how the process works.
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Duran says a common issue that she's observed is that people changed addresses over the past three years but never reported it.
Ahn says others may have gotten a job with additional income or their household size changed.
"For those no longer eligible for Medi-Cal, there are other affordable options available to them," she said.
Some may qualify for a Covered California insurance plan. That's a service that connects Californians to brand-named plans at federally-subsidized rates.
"We're actually going to automatically select for you the plan that gives you the most financial assistance and maximizes your affordability," said the executive director of Covered California, Jessica Altman.
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She said two-thirds of their enrollees have access to plans with premiums ranging from zero to $10 per month.
You can register online, over the phone or come into a redetermination center at places like L.A. Care Health Plan. The first and most important step is to update your information.
"Complete it as soon as possible and send it back, otherwise you will lose your benefits," said Duran.
The last thing you want to happen is to go to a doctor, pharmacy or have an emergency and find out you don't have coverage.