LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Mayor Karen Bass encouraged residents on Dec. 2 to enroll in Medi-Cal before the end of the year, warning that as of Jan. 1, people 19 and over without “satisfactory immigration status” will not be eligible to enroll for full benefits.

During a news conference Tuesday morning, Bass joined representatives from the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and health care officials to discuss how eligibility rules will shift. In anticipation of the change, the fund will begin outreach efforts to help residents file Medi-Cal applications by Dec. 31.

“Health care costs are one of the major causes of people falling into homelessness. Preventing homelessness is key to our efforts in addressing this humanitarian crisis,” Bass said in a statement. “I’m urging all eligible Angelenos to enroll in Medi-Cal before eligibility requirements change on Jan. 1, to help Angelenos stay healthy and housed.”

The fund is closely associated with the mayor’s office. It began its We Are LA program two years ago as a way to connect residents at risk of eviction with resources and services such as Medi-Cal, food assistance, child care and legal aid.

Caseworkers who participate in the program provide one-on-one personal support, help individuals and families fill out complex applications for social services, overcoming technological and language barriers.

Angelenos can apply for Medi-Cal at dhcs.ca.gov/Medi-Cal/Pages/apply.aspx or receive assistance by calling the Mayor’s Fund We Are LA hotline at 213-584-1808.

Caseworkers are available seven days a week.

“This critical mission could determine housing stability for thousands of our neighbors across Los Angeles. We are trying to make sure no one is left behind during this critical deadline,” Conway Collis, president and CEO of the Mayor’s Fund for LA, said in a statement.

According to the California Department of Health Care Services, people already enrolled in full scope Medi-Cal will stay covered regardless of immigration status as long as they renew their coverage during their renewal month.

People without “satisfactory immigration status” who fail to renew their coverage will only be able to receive emergency and pregnancy care.

The department defines “satisfactory immigration status” as being a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent residents who are exempt from or who have met the five-year waiting period, refugees and asylees.

Unsatisfactory immigration status according to the department includes:

– People in the country on a visitor visa, student visa or temporary work visa, unless they are under age 21;

– People who have applied for a U visa but it hasn’t been granted; and

– People paroled into the U.S. for less than one year.

Income-eligible children from birth through age 18 and pregnant women can enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal, regardless of their immigration status. Coverage is for the entire pregnancy and one year after the pregnancy ends with a birth, miscarriage or termination of the pregnancy.