Question: My roommate is moving from Kaiser to Medi-Cal with Kaiser (she just got her packet from the state yesterday, and will sign up with Alameda Alliance). My question is, will there be any gaps in her coverage? At some point she'll have to stop with Kaiser and get on Medi-Cal, but I'd like for her coverage to not be interrupted. She can pay her Feb premiums-can she elect to start Medi-Cal coverage on March 1st? The Alameda Alliance person I talked to indicated she'd have to cancel her plan with Kaiser first, but couldn't one just stop and the other start right after? She has a lot of health issues and would like to keep her health insurance through any gaps.

Answer: Medi-Cal coverage starts immediately once the application is approved. Your friend is already covered by Medi-Cal. Electing Alameda Alliance as your managed care provider within Medi-Cal should be done immediately as well. She should not continue to pay insurance premiums for her previous coverage.