Your Rights

As a member of L.A. Care, you have certain rights and responsibilities.
This page explains your rights and the other page in this section, Your Responsibilities, explains your responsibilities. 

These are your rights as a member of L.A. Care:

  • To be treated with respect and dignity, giving due consideration to your right to privacy and the need to maintain confidentiality of your medical information.
  • To be provided with information about the plan and its services, including covered services, practitioners, and member rights and responsibilities.
  • To get fully translated written member information in your preferred language, including all grievance
    and appeals notices
  • To make recommendations about L.A. Care’s member rights and responsibilities policy.
  • To be able to choose a primary care provider within L.A. Care’s network.
  • To have timely access to network providers.
  • To participate in decision making with providers regarding your own health care, including the right to refuse treatment.
  • To voice grievances, either verbally or in writing, about the organization or the care you got.
  • To know the medical reason for L.A. Care’s decision to deny, delay, terminate or change a request for
    medical care
  • To get care coordination.
  • To ask for an appeal of decisions to deny, defer or limit services or benefits.
  • To get no-cost interpreting and translation services for your language.
  • To get free legal help at your local legal aid office or other groups.
  • To formulate advance directives.
  • To ask for a State Hearing if a service or benefit is denied and you have already filed an appeal with L.A. Care and are still not happy with the decision, or if you did not get a decision on your appeal after 30 days, including information on the circumstances under which an expedited hearing is possible.
  • To disenroll (drop) from L.A. Care and change to another health plan in the county upon request.
  • To access minor consent services.
  • To get no-cost written member information in other formats (such as braille, large-size print, audio and accessible electronic formats) upon request and in a timely fashion appropriate for the format being requested and in accordance with Welfare & Institutions Code Section 14182 (b)(12).
  • To be free from any form of restraint or seclusion used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation.
  • To truthfully discuss information on available treatment options and alternatives, presented in a manner appropriate to your condition and ability to understand, regardless of cost or coverage.
  • To have access to and get a copy of your medical records, and request that they be amended or corrected, as specified in 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) sections 164.524 and 164.526.
  • Freedom to exercise these rights without adversely affecting how you are treated by L.A. Care, your providers or the state.
  • To have access to family planning services, Freestanding Birth Centers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Clinics, midwifery services, Rural Health Centers, sexually transmitted infection services and emergency services outside L.A. Care’s network pursuant to the federal law.
  • To receive free written plan materials for your preferred language or alternative format (such as audio,
    braille or large print).