Medicare is a federally-governed insurance program. Medi-Cal is an assistance program governed by the State of California and financed equally by the state and federal governments.

Medicare is for:

•People 65 and over.
•People of any age who have kidney failure or long term kidney disease.
•People who are permanently disabled and cannot work.

Your application for Medicare is located at the Social Security office in your area or is available online here.

Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) is a program governed by the State of California and financed equally by the state and federal government. Medicare is a federally-governed program.

Medi-Cal is:

A public health insurance program which provides needed health services for low income individuals including:

•People 65 and over.
•Pregnant women.
•Families with children.
•Foster care families.
•Peole who are disabled.
•People who are blind.
•People with specific diseases, such as tuberculosis, breast cancer or HIV/AIDS.

Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is sometimes used to help pay for Medicare premiums. People who qualify for both programs are called ‘dual eligible’.