CalWORKs benefits continuing but Medi-Cal stopped after refusing child support cooperation - can they do this?

Unfortunately, yes - the rules for Medi-Cal and CalWORKs are different when it comes to child support cooperation. For CalWORKs, you get the 25% penalty but still receive benefits. For Medi-Cal, adult coverage can be completely terminated for non-cooperation while children's coverage continues. And yes, they can still refer the children's case to child support enforcement even if you don't want them to - it's considered the children's right to support, not the parent's choice to waive.

I went thru this last yr. They CAN cut ur medical but u should still qualfy for the county indigent program depending on ur income. Check with ur countys health dept. The child support thing is dumb af when parents already have agreements but the county doesn't care they just want their money back for the benefits.

Have you tried explainjng your situation to your eligibility worker? There are some good cause exemptions for child support cooperation. Like if you have reason to believe cooperation could result in physical or emotional harm to you or the children, they might grant you an exemption. You'd need to provide some documentation though. Worth asking about before your Medi-Cal gets cut completely.

they just did this to my sister!!! they cut her medi-cal AND they still went after her ex for support even tho she told them not to! he got SO MAD at her cause he thought she was lying about not wanting support. now they barely even talk and its so much worse for the kids. the system is totally broken.

The legal distinction here is important to understand: CalWORKs gives you the option to accept a 25% penalty as an alternative to cooperation, while Medi-Cal technically requires cooperation without a penalty option (unless you qualify for good cause). This is because they're governed by different sections of federal and state law. Your options are: 1. Ask for a good cause exemption (but sounds like you might not qualify based on standard criteria) 2. Apply for other healthcare coverage (County Medical Services Program or Covered California) 3. Consider cooperating just for Medi-Cal purposes One important thing to know: even if you cooperate now, you can still inform the LCSA (Local Child Support Agency) that you and your ex have a working arrangement, and they sometimes can take that into account in how they proceed.

I spent 4 hours tring to reach my worker about this exact issue last month. Kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) after my friend recommended it. They got me through to an actual person at the county in like 20 minutes. The video on https://youtu.be/jzISHxCPLwE shows how it works. Turns out I qualified for good cause exemption for my situation and got to keep my Medi-Cal without cooperation. Worth a shot for you.

This happen to me to. The county says one thing but does a nother. They ALWAYS say kids have right to support from BOTH parents and county wants $$ back they spent on ur kids. My worker told me they HAS to refer any1 getting benefits 4 the kids even if parent doesn't cooperate. It's not fair but thats how they do it.

Ask for a fair hearing RIGHT AWAY! You only have 90 days from the notice date. Even if you're not sure you'll win, request the hearing because sometimes they'll offer alternatives during the pre-hearing review. Say you want aid paid pending which means they can't cut your Medi-Cal until after the hearing decision if you request it in time.

If you decide to request a fair hearing, make sure to specifically address why the child support cooperation should be waived in your case. While most 'good cause' exemptions relate to safety concerns, there are occasionally exceptions made for situations where forced cooperation would disrupt a functioning co-parenting relationship to the detriment of the children. Gather any evidence showing your current arrangement works well for the children's wellbeing - documentation of how expenses are shared, childcare arrangements, etc. If the hearing officer sees that disrupting your arrangement would harm the children, you might have a chance.

btw just to be clear - did u check ur Medi-Cal status on the state website? Sometimes the notices are wrong but ur coverage still active. worth double-checking before u panic.

I'm dealing with something similar right now. The key thing to understand is that even though you're not cooperating for CalWORKs purposes, the state still considers the children entitled to support from both parents. When you receive any benefits for the kids (even just Medi-Cal for them), you're automatically assigning their right to support over to the state so they can recover costs. It's frustrating when you have a working arrangement, but the county sees it as their legal obligation to pursue support on behalf of the children. You might want to contact your ex beforehand to explain that this isn't your choice - that way he knows you're not going behind your agreement when the county contacts him.