New federal policy will prevent Santa Barbara County health care centers from providing services to certain immigrants with Medi-Cal starting next year.
County clinics won’t see patients who Medi-Cal determines have “unsatisfactory immigration status” including undocumented individuals, most people with temporary status, and those with Deferred Action or Deferred Enforced Departure, according to the county. Around 7,500 patients will be affected throughout the county’s five health care centers.
“Health care is a human right, and when Medi-Cal restricts access only to ‘qualifying’ immigrants, it excludes the very people who often need care the most,” Genevieve Flores-Haro, the associate director of Mixteco Indígena Coummunity Organizing Project, said in email interview.
Following policy changes made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the federal government recently designated the county’s five health care facilities as federal public benefits. To continue receiving federal funding for the clinics—including facilities in Santa Maria and Lompoc—the county must comply with Medi-Cal’s requirements.
“This is not a local decision,” the county’s communications manager, Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, told the Sun. “We just want to make sure that our patients are ensured continued care.”
The county is working to help patients transition to new primary care providers before the changes take effect on Jan. 1. To reassign patients to new providers, the county is working with CenCal Health, the organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. The county Health Department will mail individuals instructions explaining how to obtain their medical records and a new health care provider, according to a press release. CenCal will also notify patients of the change during office visits.
“Patients can continue their care as they normally would right now. Nothing has actually changed at our clinics today,” Gerckens Buttitta said.
She added that the transition period is meant to allow patients enough time to set up care with a new provider before Jan. 1.
Officials expect a roughly $8.2 million decrease in the county Health Department’s annual budget because the clinics will be seeing fewer patients, Gerckens Buttitta said. The county also expects to make around 40 layoffs in the department.
County Health is scheduled to discuss the budget and reduction of positions at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 7.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 2, 2025.