Medi-Cal Enrollment Freeze for Undocumented Adults Takes Effect
California halts new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults ages 19 and older as a budget measure, saving $77.9M in 2025-26 but rising to $3.3B by 2028-29. An estimated 1.7M undocumented Californians currently have Medi-Cal.
FQHCs must now serve new undocumented patients on the sliding fee scale with no encounter revenue.
Key takeaways
- New Medi-Cal enrollment halted for undocumented adults ages 19 and older as of January 1, 2026
- Saves $77.9M in 2025-26 but rises to $3.3B annually by 2028-29
- 1.7M undocumented Californians currently have Medi-Cal coverage
- FQHCs must serve new undocumented patients on sliding fee scale with no encounter revenue
Primary source
CalMattersSource packet
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Affected FQHCs
FQHC Talent. (2026, January 1). Medi-Cal Enrollment Freeze for Undocumented Adults Takes Effect. Primary source: CalMatters. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/medi-cal-enrollment-freeze
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