CenCal CEO projects 25,000 Santa Barbara County residents could lose coverage in 2026, rising to 50,000 in 2027
The Santa Barbara Independent reported that CenCal Health CEO Marina Owen projected 25,000 Santa Barbara County residents could lose health insurance in 2026, with the projected figure rising to 50,000 in 2027. The article gives no methodology or denominator, so these are attributed forecasts, not observed losses.
Owen also reported that major county hospitals, clinics, Santa Barbara County, CenCal, and the Santa Barbara Foundation had held two response meetings and planned a third. Their immediate priority was helping residents retain coverage; longer-term work concerned care models for people who become uninsured.
The article identifies county health centers, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, and American Indian Health & Services within the local FQHC safety net, but does not identify individual meeting attendees or quantify organization-specific effects.
Key takeaways
- Owen projects 25,000 Santa Barbara County residents could lose coverage in 2026 and 50,000 in 2027; the article supplies no methodology or cumulative-versus-incremental definition.
- The article reports two cross-sector meetings and a third planned among local hospitals and clinics, the county, CenCal, and the Santa Barbara Foundation.
- The article names the local FQHC safety-net cohort but does not identify individual meeting attendees or quantify organization-specific effects.
- ⚠️ UNRECONCILED FIGURE: Owen cites "$30 million for coordinated care" navigation funding; our tracked signed-budget item carries $39M from CalMatters' final-deal breakdown. The two may describe different line items — treat both as attributed and unreconciled, and verify against the trailer bill before either ships in copy.
Primary source
Santa Barbara IndependentAffected FQHCs
FQHC Talent. (2026, July 15). CenCal CEO projects 25,000 Santa Barbara County residents could lose coverage in 2026, rising to 50,000 in 2027. Primary source: Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/cencal-ceo-santa-barbara-uninsured-25k-50k-all-hands-july-2026
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