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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 9Pt. 3Ch. 7Art. 1§ 14023 Health Coverage Fraud Penalties

§ 14023 Health Coverage Fraud Penalties

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 14023 Health Coverage Fraud Penalties

Key Takeaways

  • •You must tell the truth about any other health insurance you have when you apply for Medi-Cal. Lying is a crime.
  • •If you get new health insurance after applying for Medi-Cal, you have 10 days to tell your county welfare office. Not telling them is a crime.
  • •If you have other health insurance, you must use it first before Medi-Cal pays for anything. Not doing this is a crime.
  • •If Medi-Cal pays for your health care, you automatically give the state the right to use any other health insurance you have to pay them back.

Example

You have health insurance from your job but don't tell Medi-Cal about it when you apply.

This is breaking the law. You must tell Medi-Cal about any other health insurance you have. If you don't, you can get in trouble.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 14023 Health Coverage Fraud Penalties

(a) Any applicant for coverage under this chapter who at the time of application has any other contractual or legal entitlement to any health care service defined in Section 14053, and who willfully fails at that time to disclose the fact of such other entitlement, or falsely represents that he or she does not have such other entitlement, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) Any person eligible under this chapter who, subsequent to the date of application for such assistance or coverage under this chapter, acquires any other contractual or legal entitlement to any health care service defined in Section 14053, and willfully fails or refuses to give notice thereof to his county welfare department within 10 days of such acquisition, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (c) Any person eligible under this chapter who has any other contractual or legal entitlement to any health care service defined in Section 14053, and who knowing that he or she must use such entitlement first, obtains any such service under Medi-Cal without first having utilized and exhausted his or her other contractual or legal entitlement thereto or therefor, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (d) Any applicant shall by virtue of becoming eligible under this chapter have irrevocably assigned the benefits of any contractual or legal entitlement for health care to the State Director of Health Services to the extent that the services were paid for under this chapter. (Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 1354, Sec. 14.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

entitlementacquisitioncontractbenefitscoveragehealthfinedirector

Related Statutes

  • § 14005.70 Medi-Cal Bridge Plan Coverage
  • § 14006.01 Medi-Cal Entrance Fee Rules
  • § 14007.45 Foster Care Medicaid Eligibility
  • § 14016.55 Medi-Cal Managed Care Choice
  • § 14021.53 Narcotic Program Financial Evaluation

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 14023.
View Official Source