Medi-Cal WDP Eligibility for Young People

Medi-Cal’s Working Disabled Program (WDP) supplies health coverage to people with disabilities who get jobs. If you get a job and are making too much money to get regular Medi-Cal coverage, you might be able to keep your Medi-Cal through the WDP program.

To qualify for the WDP program, you must:

• Be certified disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA)
• Be working
• Not be eligible for standard Medi-Cal coverage, including qualifying through the 1619(b) rule
• Have income lower than 250% of the Federal Poverty Level ($3,260 per month for individuals, $4,406 for couples)
  • Note: These are countable income limits, which is your gross income minus certain deductions. Your gross income can be much higher than your countable income. For example, an individual with no unearned income or IRWEs can make $79,270 a year in gross income and still be eligible for this program.
• Have resources at or below the limit ($130,000 for individuals; $195,000 for couples), and
• Be a U.S. citizen or meet Supplemental Security Income's non-citizen requirements.
• Note: Medi-Cal's Working Disabled Program used to have a monthly premium. Starting on July 1, 2022, there is no more premium. Learn more about this change.

The WDP program is a great option if you like your current Medi-Cal coverage and get a job. You don’t have to be afraid you will lose your health coverage!

How to Apply for the WDP Program

There are different ways to apply for Medi-Cal's Working Disabled Program:

• Online using BenefitsCal. BenefitsCal lets you apply for other programs like CalFresh or CalWORKs at the same time.
• Online using Covered California, an online one-stop shop where you can learn about your public and private health coverage options.
• In person at your local county social services agency.
• Using a paper application (available in 11 languages) and mailing it in to your local county social services agency.

When you submit your application, you should specify that you are applying for the WDP program. If you need help completing an application, talk to a benefits planner.

No matter how you apply, it is important to know that if you are not eligible for Medi-Cal's Working Disabled Program, you may be able to get private insurance subsidized by the government through tax credits.

For more information, read DB101’s Medi-Cal article.