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Medi-Cal Customer Service

Phone Number & Contact Info

Medi-Cal's Best Phone Number

800-541-5555
Toll-free·Calls Customer Service·Most popular Medi-Cal number
Free tools for easier calling
Q:

How do I talk to a live human at Medi-Cal?

A:Press 9 or just wait on the line. Our free phone can also navigate phone menus to get a live human at Medi-Cal for you.
Q:

Does Medi-Cal offer 24 hour customer service?

A:Not at this number; hours here are Mon-Fri 8am-5pm EST. The least busy day is Tuesday, and the most busy day is Wednesday. If the call center is closed, you can schedule a call.
Q:

How long will I wait on hold?

A:The average hold time is 4 minutes. The longest hold times are on Thursday, and the shortest are on Wednesday. You can skip the hold time for free.

Medi-Cal Customer Phone Numbers

Corporate Offices

916-636-1200
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm EST · Press 1 then press 2 · For DHDS Meda Nurse Line, press 1, or call 1-877-409-9052. For all other beneficiary questions, press 3.

How do I get through the phone menu to a live person?

Consider using our free service that calls and talks to customer service for you, then sends you a report. Or use our free service that waits on hold and tells you when a human rep is on the line. But if those options don't appeal to you, our team has also documented the phone menu for Medi-Cal below.

Let us call and talk to Medi-Cal for you

Our AI powered phone can dial, navigate the phone menu, wait on hold, and even talk to customer service for you, for free. You don't even need to learn about the path through the various phone options.

We can get a live person on the line for you

That same, free GetHuman Phone can call and navigate the menus and wait on hold for you, but you can opt to do all the talking. We notify you when a rep is on the line and ready to talk, so no need to worry about changing menu options and weaving your way through the maze.
Of course, we completely understand if you prefer to do all the dialing, waiting, and talking yourself. All of these free tools are optional.
GetHuman researchers routinely call this Medi-Cal phone number to document the phone system.
Here is how our research team describes the way the Medi-Cal phone system greets you: Provider, press or say 1. Beneficiary, press or say 2.
Here is our latest tip for weaving through the phone menu to get to a real person the fastest: Press 9 or just wait on the line.
Below are some clips we've found from Medi-Cal's phone menus and tips that help give an idea of what you will encounter when you call. We've highlighted why they are important as well:

They may ask you to say or enter information

"Welcome to Medi Cal. Please listen carefully as our menu has changed. If you are a provider, press or say one."
Excerpt from a call with Medi-Cal
Sunday, November 10, 2024 12:27 AM

The first phone menu

"Welcome to Medi Cal. Please listen carefully as our menu has changed.
If you are a provider, press or say one.
If you are a benefit If you are a beneficiary, press or say two."
Excerpt from a call with Medi-Cal
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 10:47 PM

What are the hours and when should I call?

Medi-Cal operates the call center for this 800-541-5555 phone number Mon-Fri 8am-5pm ET. The short answer is that you should call on a Tuesday. This observation and the following section are based on analysis of a sample set of 78 calls made in the last 90 days using our free, web-based phone (see above).

Automatically call when they open

When you use our free AI-powered phone to call and talk, wait on hold, or navigate for you, it will automatically wait until the Medi-Cal call center opens before trying to call. It will ask your permission before it places the call, so you can also further delay that scheduled call until you are ready. But that means you can "set it and forget it" ahead of time.
An important note: busy times vs hold times vs best time to call
When we refer to busy or less busy times, we are talking about the volume of calls. The busiest times are when the most people are calling this Medi-Cal phone number (least busy times have fewer people calling). This high call volume does not necessarily mean that you will have a long hold time when you call. Companies like Medi-Cal staff their call centers differently based on the time of day and day of the week, so you may experience a shorter wait on hold at the busiest of times. When we refer to the best time to call, we are referring to the optimal combination of lower call volume and shorter wait times.

The least busy time to call

The least busy day to call Medi-Cal is Tuesday. The most busy day to call is Wednesday, which averages 520% more phone calls by comparison. Again, this is based on a sample of 78 calls made with our AI-powered, web-based phone in the last 90 days.
Mon
Tue
Quietest
Wed
Busiest
Thu
Fri

The shortest wait on hold

We measured the shortest hold times to be on Wednesday. The longest wait in the queue on average occurs on Thursday.
But if you use our free call and talk for me or wait on hold for me service, you don't really need to worry about average wait times.

The best time to call Medi-Cal

In summation, the best day to call Medi-Cal is Tuesday. This is not the day with the shortest wait on hold in the phone system, but we still recommend it for its ideal combination of low call volume and short hold times. Plus we believe that Medi-Cal staffs the call center well on Tuesday.

Why Customers Call Medi-Cal

If you have time to do a bit of reading before you call Medi-Cal, we recommend you read over some of our problem-specific articles.

What is Medi-Cal?

Medi-Cal is a government-sponsored program that provides affordable healthcare coverage for low-income individuals and families in California. Administered by the California Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal offers comprehensive medical services, such as doctor visits, hospital care, prescription drugs, and preventive care, to eligible residents. It serves a wide range of individuals, including children, pregnant women, disabled individuals, and seniors. Medi-Cal ensures that individuals who cannot afford private health insurance or do not have access to employer-sponsored coverage have access to necessary healthcare services. The program operates on an income-based eligibility system, so individuals with limited income and few assets may qualify. Through Medi-Cal, Californians gain access to essential healthcare services, promoting health and well-being for those in need.

Who is eligible for Medi-Cal?

Medi-Cal is a California-based health insurance program designed to provide affordable coverage to low-income individuals and families. Eligibility for Medi-Cal is primarily determined by income and household size. Generally, individuals who meet the federal poverty level guidelines are eligible for Medi-Cal. This includes low-income adults, pregnant women, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Additionally, certain non-citizens, like lawful permanent residents or qualified immigrants, can qualify for coverage. It is important to note that eligibility requirements can vary based on different factors, such as age, medical condition, and citizenship status. Therefore, it is recommended to visit the official Medi-Cal website or contact a local county office to determine specific eligibility criteria for enrollment in this vital healthcare program.

What documents are required for the Medi-Cal application?

To successfully apply for Medi-Cal, certain documents are necessary. First, individuals must provide proof of identity, such as a valid driver's license or passport. Additionally, they need to submit documents that verify their citizenship or immigration status, for instance, a birth certificate or immigration card. Financial eligibility requirements mandate the submission of income-related documents, such as pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements. For any individuals claiming disability, supporting documentation from a healthcare professional is essential. Married applicants must also provide their spouse's income information. Finally, individuals should gather proof of address, like utility bills or rental agreements. Ensuring all these documents are prepared and submitted accurately will expedite the Medi-Cal application process and help individuals access the necessary healthcare benefits they need.

Top Medi-Cal customer service problems

Click the link above to get answers to just about any Medi-Cal customer service question, including step by step guides for the most complex issues. You can also detail a new issue and get answers instantly.
Below is a sample of recent calls to Medi-Cal, and their purpose. Are any of these similar to the reason you are trying to call?
Referral status inquiry: "We have not received a response back from you guys."
- From a call lasting 16m 29s , Nov 26, 2024 11:45 PM
Issue with nursing home: "Yeah, they said they can't remove it in until they find out what's going on."
- From a call lasting 12m , Sep 26, 2024 8:53 PM
Application status inquiry: "I was just checking on the status of my application."
- From a call lasting 7m 50s , Aug 15, 2024 4:49 PM
Transfer Medi-Cal coverage counties: "I visited the emergency room in another county, and my Medi-Cal got transferred there, but my doctor is in a different county, so I need it switched back."
- From a call lasting 10m 16s , Apr 8, 2024 9:29 PM
Information about why customers call Medi-Cal is extracted from issues that customers have reported to GetHuman.
Medi-Cal issues reported to GetHuman

Conclusion and closing notes

This is Medi-Cal's best phone number, the real-time current wait on hold and tools for skipping right through those phone lines to get right to a Medi-Cal agent. This phone number is Medi-Cal's best phone number because 3,096 customers like you used this contact information over the last 18 months and gave us feedback. Common problems addressed by the customer care unit that answers calls to 800-541-5555 include Returns, Cancel order, Change order, Track order, Complaint and other customer service issues. Rather than trying to call Medi-Cal first, consider describing your issue first; from that we may be able to recommend an optimal way to contact them via phone. In total, Medi-Cal has 2 phone numbers. It's not always clear what is the best way to talk to Medi-Cal representatives, so we started compiling this information built from suggestions from the customer community. Please keep sharing your experiences so we can continue to improve this free resource.

GetHuman does not provide call center services or customer support operations for Medi-Cal. The two organizations are not related. GetHuman builds free tools and shares information to help customers of companies like Medi-Cal. For large companies that includes tools such as our GetHuman Phone, which allows you to call a company but skip the part where you wait on the line to get a live human rep. We continue to work on these tools to help customers like you (and ourselves!) navigate the messy phone menus, hold times, and confusion with customer service. As long as you keep sharing it with your friends and loved ones, we'll keep doing it.

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