California's state-only Medi-Cal coverage

California's health trailer bill AB 173 is law (Chapter 252): clinics lose their exemption from Medi-Cal enrollment moratoriums, and immigrant full-scope eligibility is restructured from October 1

Event: Sep 18

Governor Newsom approved AB 173 (Committee on Budget, health trailer bill) on September 18, 2026, and it was chaptered as Chapter 252, Statutes of 2026 the same day.

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.

Public Health Watch calculated an 86,000 January-February enrollment change

KVPR republished a Public Health Watch analysis that calculated more than 86,000 people without legal status left or were denied Medi-Cal in January and February 2026, using California Health and Human Services Adult Expansion data…

DHCS's draft PPS guidance RESTRICTS outreach allowability

Correction and resolution (2026-09-12): we previously reported that the direction of this guidance was unknown. It is known, and it RESTRICTS. We obtained the notice and its attached draft from DHCS's own server and read them.

Santa Barbara County Restores 15 Clinic Positions After the PPS Delay Delivers $6.6M, First County-Level Proof the Budget Reprieve Is Restoring Capacity

Santa Barbara County will restore 15 positions cut in its June-16 adopted budget — 7 staff nurses, 2 medical assistants, 2 administrative office professionals, 2 financial office professionals, 1 health education assistant, and 1 pharmacy technician…

Medi-Cal Posts FQHC/RHC PPS 2025 Q4 Claim Reprocessing Notice, Positive Adjustments Started June 25, Negative Adjustments Begin July 23

Medi-Cal posted the 2025 fourth-quarter FQHC/RHC Prospective Payment System rate-adjustment notice on July 2.

CMSP proposes cutting eligibility and benefits in its 35 small counties from January 1, 2027

Event: Aug 6

The County Medical Services Program Governing Board, which runs backup coverage for low-income uninsured adults in 35 small California counties, gave notice on August 6, 2026 of two public hearings, on September 18 and October 5, 2026 in Sacramento…

Monterey County Relaunches 'Esperanza Care' July 1, County-Funded Coverage for 500 Undocumented Adults Losing Medi-Cal

Event: May 27

Monterey County's Board of Supervisors voted in late May 2026 to relaunch 'Esperanza Care' effective July 1 — a county-funded program covering up to 500 undocumented adults at ≤100% FPL who lose Medi-Cal under the H.R. 1 / UIS-freeze coverage rollbacks.

Some Adult Medi-Cal Members Move to Emergency-Only Dental July 1, 2027, Full Dental Continues Until Then and Exceptions Matter

Event: Jul 1

Current DHCS dental guidance says full dental remains in place through June 30, 2027.

California's Enacted 2026–27 Budget Keeps State-Only FQHC/RHC PPS and Full Adult Dental Through June 2027, Four Transition Dates Must Stay Separate

Event: Jun 29

DHCS's enacted-budget highlights establish four distinct policies, not one coverage cliff. First, defined UIS members move from managed care to fee-for-service on January 1, 2027; DHCS says this changes how they get care, not whether they keep Medi-Cal.

January 1, 2027 Changes How Defined UIS Members Receive Medi-Cal Care, It Does Not End Their Medi-Cal Coverage

Current DHCS member guidance says that, beginning January 1, 2027, people in defined unsatisfactory-immigration-status (UIS) categories will receive Medi-Cal through fee-for-service (FFS) instead of a managed care health plan.

FQHC Dental Readiness for July 2027: Separate Benefit Scope, Emergency Coverage, Eligibility Exceptions, and Revenue Scenarios

Event: Jul 1

DHCS's current provider-facing dental page makes the July 1, 2027 change operationally narrower than the earlier “two million immigrants lose dental” shorthand. Full dental continues through June 30, 2027.

Some Adult Medi-Cal Members Move to Emergency-Only Dental July 1, 2027, Full Dental Continues Until Then and Exceptions Matter

Event: Jul 1

Current DHCS dental guidance says full dental remains in place through June 30, 2027.

California's Enacted 2026–27 Budget Keeps State-Only FQHC/RHC PPS and Full Adult Dental Through June 2027, Four Transition Dates Must Stay Separate

Event: Jun 29

DHCS's enacted-budget highlights establish four distinct policies, not one coverage cliff. First, defined UIS members move from managed care to fee-for-service on January 1, 2027; DHCS says this changes how they get care, not whether they keep Medi-Cal.

CHCF/Culture IQ: 39 interviews identify trusted, in-language Medi-Cal guidance as an access need

Event: Jun 26

CHCF commissioned Culture IQ Group to conduct one-on-one interviews in January 2026 with 39 undocumented adults ages 26–64 who were enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal.

CHCF: Up to 2M Californians Could Lose Medi-Cal, State Policy Alternatives Modeled at $3.1B–$6.7B/yr

Event: Apr 29

California Health Care Foundation released (April 29, 2026) a major analysis modeling state-level coverage alternatives for the up-to-2-million Californians projected to lose Medi-Cal coverage from H.R. 1 work mandates, 6-month redetermination cycles…

CalMatters: Medi-Cal Faces Funding Emergency from State Miscalculations and Federal Cuts

Dan Walters' widely syndicated CalMatters commentary warns Medi-Cal has become a $200B+/year 'funding emergency.' Governor Newsom is retracting coverage for immigrants after wrongly projecting a state surplus, while H.R. 1 federal cuts compound the crisis.