County is working with local health partners to transition impacted patients
Amid evolving federal and state changes, County Health is working with local health partners to ensure a smooth transition of care for impacted patients. A recent federal change is intended to designate Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as a federal public benefit; all five County Health Centers fall under this designation.
While County Health Centers have always followed Medi-Cal requirements to verify patient eligibility, this new designation would mean the facilities themselves are restricted from serving patients identified by Medi-Cal as having “unsatisfactory immigration status.”
County Health is working closely with CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal managed care plan for Santa Barbara County, to support a process to transition impacted patients to new primary care providers by January 1, 2026. Patients being reassigned will receive a letter from County Health with instructions on transferring care and obtaining copies of their medical records. CenCal Health will also send a letter with additional information on connecting with a new provider. The County’s priority is to provide transition plans and resources that ensure continuity of care and minimize any disruptions to clinical services.
Patients who are not enrolled in a managed care plan will have their eligibility for County Health Center services determined through a standard verification process. County Health will start implementing the new requirements for all patients on January 1, 2026, to align with the State’s date for changes in Medi-Cal and to provide patients with adequate time to transition care.
To support continuity of care, County Health will provide patients with a list of alternative care providers. Patients will be encouraged to contact these providers directly to establish care and schedule appointments as needed.
Although there is litigation regarding the federal change and an injunction in place in California to stay implementation of the federal change, currently there is no assurance on how long the injunction will last. Beginning the process of transitioning patients now ensures continuity of care and gives patients control of their medical decisions so they have time to choose a provider.
These changes will significantly affect County Health’s budget, due to the loss of revenue from patients who will no longer be served at its Health Centers. An updated County Health budget will be going before the Board of Supervisors on October 7, 2025, to discuss anticipated layoffs and elimination of budgeted positions.
“This is a difficult change to make. This is not a choice we made locally, however continued care for our patients is our primary goal. We recognize the concern and hardship this may cause,” said Mouhanad Hammami, Director of the County Health Department, “We are making every effort to make the transition of care for the patients impacted as seamless as possible.”
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Let’s make America great again by clogging up our emergency room and straining our healthcare system.
Once those that are undocumented are removed from the country, the emergency rooms won’t be clogged anymore!
Does your experience as a Walmart employee give you this great insight into immigration policy?
Hammonds, how do you want to remove them? A sniper in Texas just removed 2 of them from an ICE facility. MAGA values?
Nah Hammonds, the ER will still be clogged up with the elderly and poor who can’t afford groceries and basic living expenses because their social security and medicare was gutted and grocery prices quadrupled thanks to all the immigrants or anyone resembling an immigrant with dark skin is rounded up into concentration camps. We all lose with these discriminatory and predatory ideologies.
HAMMONDS – have you been to the ER lately? I have, unfortunately, and also the Urgent Care (sports injuries suck mid-season!). Lots of white, English speaking folks each time. It’s hardly “clogged” by people that you folks would call “illegals.”
But don’t let facts stop your hate train!
Such a shortsighted and dangerous mandate. Why does anyone think it is better to have more sick people around? The Federal government has become insanely obsessive about immigration status. Red hat cultists are losing their damn minds about hurting people from other countries; their desire to show hatred and vitriol towards immigrants is destroying any common sense they may have had. It’s more expensive and more dangerous to make it harder for people to have access to health care, and viruses don’t care which country you were born in.
People need to learn how to compromise. It cannot be “all or none” as what is happening now. Very selfish. Like two kids fighting over the last piece of cake…”It’s MINE! NO….It’s MINE!!!!” Simply let one child cut the cake in half, and then the second child chose the first piece. It’s pretty obvious that without compromise that we are all headed to Nowheresville.
BEES – apply that “advice” to this situation. It is out of our control. We can’t “compromise” now that too many low IQ Americans chose a criminal rapist fraud who was known for his constant lying last time you chose him. He has control of the government, the dumbest president we’ve ever had and the most cruel and openly bigoted we’ve had in modern history, has full control. He passed his BBB with ease and now the people who voted for him are suffering.
So, again, explain exactly how anyone is supposed to “compromise” here.
Bees, your comments really have nothing to do with the article. Your aloof and detached comments are a bit concerning.
I get it, for sure. Time to take a break from all things political and enjoy life for a moment or two. My sister is still steaming/seething about the “stolen” 2020 election and my roommate from 20 years ago is still in 2024 shock (“ALL the polls said she was going to win by a large margin!”). My strong advice to both of them has been to “let it go.” Well, they cannot just let it go and are compelled to live in their own world, which is filled with angst, anger, hatred, and high blood pressure. Neither is willing to seek professional help as they do not believe for one second that they surely need any help at all. The sooner people get off of the “Hate Train,” the sooner we can all start healing. Being being divided is not going to make us whole again. Anyway, that’s my take on things.
Bees, ot sounds like you dont have a high opinion of your family and their mental health issues. Im also sensing your hypocrisy foe making daily divisive, even though lightly gloved, comments.
Yeah, just bend those knees! Don’t wrry. Be happy…until they come for you.
Take another toke and give up the computer/phone/whatever you touch to make your mark here. You, and all of us here, will have so much healing, so much healing like never before. Nobody’s ever seen that much healing. Not since… well in the last million years. So much healing you’ll be tired of healing.