Santa Barbara County health officials are raising concerns after a new federal directive ordered that patients at federally funded health clinics must soon provide proof of citizenship to receive care. The measure has been put in place to restrict federal funds from being used on undocumented immigrants. However, it could significantly disrupt services at clinics designed to serve low-income and underserved populations.
Highlights
- As per a new federal directive, clinics must begin verifying citizenship to qualify for federal reimbursement.
- No formal guidance has been issued on how to implement the change.
- Santa Barbara officials stress that all patients will continue receiving care for now.
No Formal Announcements Have Been Made Yet
According to the July 10 directive, the policy is effective immediately, though a 30-day comment period is included. However, the federal government has not issued formal implementation guidelines, leaving county clinics uncertain about how to proceed. Until guidance is provided, Santa Barbara’s Public Health Department says clinics will continue to serve all patients, as stated on a press release issued on July 17, 2025.
“County Health Centers Maintain Access for All, Regardless of Citizenship Status. Public health depends on everyone feeling safe enough to seek care,” said Dr. Mouhanad Hammami, the department’s chief executive. “Our health centers are safe places where patient privacy and rights are protected.”
Santa Barbara County operates eight Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which historically have not required immigration or citizenship documentation.
The county has approximately 240,000 Medi-Cal enrollees in the county and it’s estimated that up to 55,000 patients could be at risk of losing access to preventive care.
In response, local clinics are exploring temporary solutions, including telehealth visits, culturally responsive outreach, and transportation for those concerned about ICE enforcement. Hammami warned that if patients stop seeking preventive care, the county could see rising emergency room visits and reduced herd immunity.
“County Health is actively exploring alternative ways to expand access to care for all families, especially our immigrant and indigenous communities. To better serve our communities, our health care centers offer a range of flexible and culturally responsive options, including a Walk-in Clinic in Santa Maria, Behavioral Health Telehealth appointments, and Mixteco voiceovers for our Mixteco-speaking populations,” the county’s press release stated.
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Difficult. The failure of our government to provide a sensible solution to the question of immigration has so many ramifications. This is one. Non legal workers pay into the system that provides this care. Their employers generally do not contribute anything to such costs. The customers ignore the problem of caring for those doing their dirty work. We need an adult solution and that means both sides have to let go of their emotional talking points and agree to an accommodation that provides workers, care, decent housing and fair wages and fair working conditions for this population. That probably would not include a right to citizenship or permanent residence.
It’s a great start! I hope they expand citizenship requirements to all federal agency. I’m happy to pay federal income tax to pay for Americans in need. Resources are limited and should only be available to citizens.
And all the money the non-citizens pay in to benefit you should go where?
You definitely want more sick people around you?