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.