[Lammy]

Even if one does qualify for those programs, the sign-up time is on the order of almost a year here in California. Applications are Supposed To Be™ reviewed within 45 days, which is already a long wait, but they are using the new normal “due to higher than usual volume, fuck you” approach just like every other modern bureaucracy.

https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/Steps-to-Medi-Cal.... sez “Due to the high volume of new applications, the process is taking longer than normal”, and I have secondhand experience of six+ month wait times.

Expenses incurred during the coverage gap need additional approval for retroactive repayment, meaning you have to have the funds to pay upfront for however many months/years the sign-up process takes, then once your coverage starts you have to apply/wait/hope to be paid back for everything paid out-of-pocket which might just get denied: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/forms/Forms/mc210a0907....