CalOptima Health Approves $429.6M From Reserves for Hospital and Specialist Rate Increases Through 2028

CalOptima Health approved $429.6 million from reserves to increase Medi-Cal payment rates for hospitals and specialists from July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. The June 9 action follows a separate $526.2 million round approved in June 2024 that supported health networks, hospitals, physicians, community clinics, behavioral health providers, and ancillary providers, bringing the two commitments to nearly $1 billion.

The current $429.6 million action is specifically for hospitals and specialists—not a direct FQHC or community-clinic rate increase. For Orange County health centers, any benefit would be indirect, through the hospital and specialty referral network their patients use.