California: the record

California Senate Advances SB 915 + SB 1323, ICE Restrictions in Hospital and FQHC Patient Rooms; Bills Clear Health and Judiciary Committees

Event: Apr 22

SB 915 (Menjivar) prohibits 'blackout policies,' bars ICE agents from patient rooms without legal authorization, requires staff to document refusals, and bans agents from making medical or interpretation decisions.

CalChamber 'Affordable California' Files Nearly 1 Million Signatures for November 2026 Ballot, Counter to SEIU-UHW 90% Spend Initiative

CalChamber-led business coalition submitted nearly 1 million signatures April 27 for the 'Affordable California' ballot initiative — a direct counter-pressure measure against SEIU-UHW's 90% patient-care spending mandate (the FQHC accountability initiative…

FHCSD Terminates Physician Advocate Dr. Raquel Cornejo Pina During Protected Medical Leave, UAPD Alleges Retaliation; 1,000 Patients Lose PCP

Event: Apr 10

Family Health Centers of San Diego terminated Dr. Raquel Cornejo Pina after 7 years while she was on protected medical leave. UAPD/AFSCME alleges retaliation for raising unsafe staffing/excessive panel concerns and for supporting union organizing.

LA County Measure ER Trailing 47-45 Five Weeks From June 2 Vote, St. John's Community Health $4M+ in to Defend $1B/Year Safety-Net Backfill

Event: Apr 3

LA County Measure ER (June 2, 2026 ballot) is trailing 47% oppose / 45% support in early-April polling — five weeks from the vote. Allocation: 45% to nonprofit clinics serving uninsured, 22% county hospitals/clinics, 10% DPH.

City of San Diego Faces $146M Deficit, Mayor Gloria Proposes Layoffs, Furloughs, Service Cuts as County Supervisors Pass Safety-Net Overhaul

Event: Apr 15

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's FY2026-27 budget closes a $146M structural deficit through layoffs, furloughs, and city service cuts.

Public Citizen Names 83 California Hospitals at Closure Risk Under H.R. 1, UC Davis, Methodist Sacramento, Ventura, San Diego on List

Event: Apr 19

Public Citizen's 'The Big Ugly Threat to Safety Net Hospitals' analyzed financial data from ~95% of U.S. Hospitals and identified 446 at heightened closure risk from H.R. 1's ~$911B Medicaid/CHIP cuts over a decade (≥20% Medicaid payer mix + negative net…

Medi-Cal Optometry Rate Has Been ~$47 for 25 Years, California Optometric Association + CalMatters Push for Rate Update

Event: Apr 15

CalMatters' April 2026 investigation exposed that California Medi-Cal pays optometrists ~$47 per comprehensive eye exam — UNCHANGED for 25 years — driving only ~10% of California Optometric Association members to accept Medi-Cal patients.

Community Medical Centers (Fresno) + Blue Shield Standoff Hits Month 3, 5,000+ City Workers + Tens of Thousands of Patients Caught

Event: Apr 1

California's 5th-largest hospital system, Community Health System (Fresno-based), entered month 3 out-of-network with Blue Shield CA on April 1, 2026, with no resolution deadline set — an unusually long stalemate.

Published DRES-POCAI Protocol at San Ysidro Health, Completed Outcomes Not Yet Established

Event: Jan 15

JAMA Network Open published the DRES-POCAI protocol for a randomized study of point-of-care diabetic-retinopathy screening at two San Ysidro Health sites.

SF DPH 3-Clinic Closure Fight Moves to Meet-and-Confer, Advocates Learn Closures Were Never Budget Add-Backs

Event: Apr 7

July 3 update to previously tracked SF DPH cuts: after months of protests, patients, clinicians, and SEIU 1021 members learned the three clinic consolidations were being treated as a Department of Public Health operational decision rather than budget…

Alameda Alliance Switched Medi-Cal Vision Vendor from March Vision to VSP Effective Jan 1, 2026, Bay Area Network Disruption

Event: Jan 1

Alameda Alliance Health Plan moved its Medi-Cal vision benefit administration from March Vision Care to VSP effective Jan 1, 2026. Bay Area FQHCs contracting with Alameda Alliance must establish or update VSP credentialing.

CA SB 776 Added a 2026 Mobile-Optometry Registration Framework, not Automatic Program Compliance

Event: Jan 1

SB 776 (Cabaldon, 2025) was signed October 13, 2025, with provisions related to mobile optometric-office registration taking effect in 2026.

Sacramento County Projects 73,000 Residents to Lose Medi-Cal Coverage in Next Fiscal Year

Event: Apr 15

Per The Center Square's April 15 reporting on a Sacramento County lawmakers' meeting about projected federal cuts, state finance projections cited in the article show 73,000 Sacramento County residents expected to fall off Medi-Cal in the coming year…

CPCA + No-on-AB-1113 Coalition Mounts Legislative Opposition to SEIU-UHW 90% Mission-Spend Mandate

Event: Apr 1

AB 1113 — the legislative twin to the SEIU-UHW ballot initiative — cleared its first Assembly policy committee 11-1 (May 2025) but then stalled on the Appropriations suspense file and DIED on January 31, 2026 as a two-year bill (Calif. Const. Art. IV §10(c))…

AB 2161 Becomes Law: California Adds Guardrails to Medi-Cal Work-Requirement Verification (Chapter 209)

Event: Feb 15

AB 2161 (Bonta) sets how California verifies the federal Medicaid work or community-engagement requirement, which state law says begins no sooner than January 1, 2027. It does not block the requirement.

SEIU 1021 + Alameda Health System Workers Ratify New Contract, Layoff Crisis Resolved

Event: Apr 9

After months of confrontation including Christmas Eve layoff notices, Highland Hospital rallies, and a 99.5% strike authorization, SEIU 1021 members across Alameda Health System ratified a new contract April 9, 2026.

AB 2161 Medi-Cal Work/Community Engagement Requirements, 'Do Pass' Committee Recommendation

Event: Apr 7

AB 2161 — directing DHCS to implement work/community engagement requirements for Medi-Cal applicants and beneficiaries under the 2025 federal law 'in ways that are least administratively burdensome' — received a 'Do pass' recommendation from committee April 7…

HCAI Amplifying Impact Initiative Phase 2, First New CHW/Promotora Funding Stream Since 2024 Cuts

Event: Mar 30

HCAI committed to a new phase of the Amplifying Impact Initiative launching May 2026, with applications having closed March 30.

Sierra View Medical Center (Tulare County) at Significant Risk Under H.R. 1 Medicaid Cuts

Detailed community-impact analysis published April 25 names Sierra View Medical Center (Porterville, Tulare County) as at significant risk under H.R. 1 Medicaid cuts.

100,000 Immigrants Disenrolled From Medi-Cal June–December 2025, Chilling Effect Quantified

New research published April 24 confirms nearly 100,000 immigrants without legal status disenrolled from Medi-Cal between June and December 2025 — well before the January 2026 enrollment freeze took effect.

Kaiser Permanente CA WARN Filings Reach 47 / 339 Workers in 2026, Workforce Contraction Continues

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals filed WARN notices April 22-23 for 38 employees across Alameda, LA, and Solano counties. Brings Kaiser's 2026 California WARN total to 47 filings / 339 workers.

SF DPH Wave 2: Additional $40M Cut, 121 FTEs Eliminated, 3 More Clinics Reassigned

Event: Apr 17

Beyond the previously tracked Wave 1 (127 layoffs), SF DPH announced a SECOND wave on April 17: $40M cut over two fiscal years through elimination of 121 FTEs (60% currently vacant, 47 filled).

Tulare County Health Officials Warn of Hospital Closures from Medi-Cal Cuts, 61.8% Enrollment Exposure

Event: Apr 10

Tulare County health officials publicly warned in April 2026 that Medi-Cal cuts could force hospital closures across the county. Tulare has California's highest Medi-Cal enrollment rate (~61.8%).

Federal immigration-category changes begin October 2026, but affected Medi-Cal members keep state-funded full scope through June 30, 2027

Event: Aug 24

DHCS says federal law narrows federally funded full-scope Medicaid eligibility for certain immigration categories starting October 1, 2026.

SEIU 1021 + IFPTE 21 Rally at SF General Frames DPH Cuts as 'Union-Busting Layoffs'

Event: Apr 15

SEIU 1021 and IFPTE 21 staged a public rally at SF General on April 15 framing the SF DPH budget cuts as union-busting layoffs.

CPCA Day at the Capitol Convened California CHC Advocates in Sacramento

Event: Apr 28

CPCA Advocates' Day at the Capitol was scheduled for April 28, 2026 in Sacramento as a forum for community health center patients, clinicians, staff, and consortia to meet with state legislators.

SEIU-UHW Submits Signatures for California Executive Pay Cap Ballot Initiative, Second Front Against FQHC Leadership Comp

Event: Apr 3

SEIU-UHW submitted signatures April 3, 2026 for a NEW executive compensation cap ballot initiative targeting nonprofit clinic CEOs, CMOs, and CFOs — alongside the 90% mission-spend measure (already tracked).

3 Named San Diego County Hospitals at Closure Risk: Scripps Mercy SD, Sharp Chula Vista, Tri-City Oceanside

OB Rag identifies the three named San Diego County hospitals on Public Citizen's 446-hospital watchlist: Scripps Mercy Hospital (San Diego), Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, and Tri-City Medical Center (Oceanside).

SEIU-UHW Submits Signatures for California Executive Pay Cap Ballot Initiative, Second Front on FQHC Compensation

Event: Apr 3

SEIU-UHW submitted signatures April 3, 2026 for two parallel California ballot initiatives: the 90% mission-spend measure (already tracked) AND a NEW executive compensation cap targeting nonprofit clinic CEOs, CMOs, and CFOs.

SF DPH Announces Wave 2: 121 Additional Position Cuts, Total SF Health Department Reductions Push Past 250 Jobs in Two Months

San Francisco Department of Public Health released a memo April 20 identifying 121 additional full-time positions to eliminate, fulfilling Mayor Lurie's late-February mandate for an additional $40M in cuts over two years.