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.
Linked evidence
Santa Barbara IndependentSource packet
This story's linked evidence + 4 related tracked stories with theirs — one print-ready digest for your team or board packet.
Free — unlocks the packet and submits a single opt-in for Intel Brief. Eligible addresses are subscribed immediately and no confirmation email is sent; a prior unsubscribe, verified deletion, or bounce is not overridden. Individual sources are always clickable above, no email needed.
Affected 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. Linked evidence: Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved September 11, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/cencal-ceo-santa-barbara-uninsured-25k-50k-all-hands-july-2026
More in Funding & Budget
Sep 2
The stopgap signed September 2 sets a December 11 funding deadline — 20 days before the Community Health Center Fund expires
Aug 26
CMS announces $3.15M to connect pharmacies and FQHCs across Ohio's 73 rural counties
Aug 25
Alaska announces $160M across 142 rural-health projects — no FQHC or recipient is named in the CMS release
Aug 24
Alabama's first $144M-plus rural-health grant round names PCA and FQHC recipients