In 2026, The Children’s Partnership is co-sponsoring the Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act, AB 2201, as part of our children’s health equity policy agenda. Authored by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (D – San Diego), the bill would bring back strategies that we already know work to keep more families healthy and covered by Medi-Cal.
During the pandemic, California put in place new ways to lift much of the burden of Medi-Cal renewals off of families and administrators. Less paperwork and automatic renewals were especially effective.
When leaders allowed these strategies to expire, there was a huge loss in Medi-Cal coverage for people who depend on it to stay healthy.
Of California’s post-pandemic Medi-Cal coverage losses, 92% were due to needless paperwork errors, not because people weren’t eligible.
This year, county workers are already taking on a heavier workload as they wrestle with the detrimental effects of H.R. 1. Families are finding themselves with fewer options that support their health and well-being. AB 2201 offers a proven solution to the obstacles ahead.
“There have been times when I haven’t been able to fill out the long renewal forms sent last minute and my coverage gets cut off because of it. Those times, I’ve had to re-enroll my children even though none of our information changed.”
– Fresno Parent, 2023 Medi-Cal Focus Group
The Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act will cut red tape and give Californians the peace of mind that comes with knowing they and their loved ones are able to access health care.
- Get more parent insights in “Impact of Gaps in Medi-Cal Coverage: Focus Group Findings.”
- Find out more in our data brief, “Learning from the Pandemic: How Continuous Medicaid Coverage Protected California Children.”
AB 2201 (Boerner) Medi-Cal Renewal Relief Act
AB 2201 reinstates proven Medi-Cal eligibility strategies to simplify renewals, reduce coverage losses, and ease county workloads.
The bill helps keep California’s children and families covered by Medi-Cal as county staff deal with the burden of implementing Trump’s H.R. 1 bill.
Co-sponsors:
- National Health Law Program
- Latino Coaliton for a Healthy California
- Health Access California
- Western Center on Law & Poverty
- Justice in Aging
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