Refugees and other legal immigrants in San Diego have a temporary cushion against federal Medicaid cuts that took effect Thursday, Oct. 1, which will affect hundreds of thousands of immigrants nationally.
Under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law known as H.R.1 or the “Big Beautiful Bill,” the federal government stopped funding full Medicaid benefits for certain immigrants, including refugees, people granted asylum and some survivors of trafficking who don’t have another qualifying immigration status.
California is using state money to continue full Medi-Cal coverage for affected members through June 30, 2027, according to the Department of Health Care Services. That means Thursday’s change does not immediately end their coverage here.
California’s protection is temporary. Under the enacted state budget, affected immigrants are scheduled to move to restricted Medi-Cal coverage July 1, 2027. The state says that coverage will include emergency services and pregnancy-related care.
Healthcare providers and aid groups are already telling me that they are seeing less people covered with Medical coverage. Anecdotally, one motivation for that is a fear of using public services by lawfully present immigrants, even if they are still eligible.
I heard similar concerns from food aid groups: fear was leading some families to avoid assistance even when they remained eligible.
Has your family received a notice about these changes? Are you working at a non-profit or Public Health Organization impacted by these changes? I’d like to hear from you. Email me.