GWU Geiger Gibson: 1.4 Million Homeless Patients at Community Health Centers Face Medicaid Disenrollment from Paperwork Barriers
A new GWU Geiger Gibson Program brief documents that 1.4 million patients experiencing homelessness currently receive care at community health centers — and these patients face disproportionate risk of Medicaid disenrollment under work requirements and documentation barriers, even when legally exempt. CHC staff will bear the burden of connecting patients to exemption documentation processes, adding administrative load at the worst possible time.
California FQHCs serving high proportions of unhoused patients (particularly SF, LA, and Sacramento) should begin planning for exemption navigation workflows now.
Primary source
GWU Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health PolicyFQHC Talent. (2026, April 8). GWU Geiger Gibson: 1.4 Million Homeless Patients at Community Health Centers Face Medicaid Disenrollment from Paperwork Barriers. Primary source: GWU Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy. Retrieved June 12, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/gwu-geiger-gibson-homeless-patients-medicaid-disenrollment
More in Patient Impact
May 20
Kheir Clinic Koreatown Frontline Crisis — Assisting 60-100/Day with Medi-Cal Navigation, Expanded Patient Resources Staff 25-30%
Apr 30
CalMatters: California Kids on Medi-Cal Not Getting Eye Exams — $47 Rate Frozen 25 Years, Only 10% of Optometrists Accept Medi-Cal
Apr 15
Only 16% of Medi-Cal Kids Got an Eye Exam in 2022-24 — Down from 19% Eight Years Earlier; 47 of 58 CA Counties Worsened
Apr 8
CHCF 2026 Health Policy Survey: 72% of Californians Worry About Losing Health Coverage