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President Trump’s mega budget bill results in changes for Medicaid recipients on the Central Coast

Image provided by CenCal Health; used with permission

CenCal Health is the Medicaid managed care plan for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

Two new mandates are set to take effect: a work requirement of 80 hours per month, and a requirement to requalify for Medi-Cal eligibility every six months.

Marina Owen, CEO of CenCal Health, said the organization will work with the counties and the state to explore options for members who may no longer qualify after the policy takes effect.

“What we're also hoping is that our state gets some ability to implement some of these requirements a little later,” Owen said. “So that we can get an extension for another year, for example, to give us some time to build local programs that people can afford and that provide good coverage for them.”

For the medical community, millions of dollars will no longer be available to safety-net providers, including hospitals, federally qualified health centers, clinics and doctors.

The new policy will take effect Dec. 31, 2026, and is estimated to impact about 30,000 Central Coast residents.

KCBX reporter Adam Solorzano is working for KCBX News as a California Local News Fellow from 2024-2026. He received his master's degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism in May of 2024. During his time as a graduate student, Adam focused on short-form documentary filmmaking.