"It's very possible over 90% of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness will lose insurance. Medi-Cal, also known as Medicaid federally, provides health insurance for low-income people and those with disabilities. The new law requires states starting in 2027 to verify that able-bodied adults younger than 65 without dependent children are performing 80 hours or more of work each month in order to qualify for Medicaid."
"State officials estimate up to 2 million people - about 14% of the state's 14 million Medi-Cal recipients - will lose coverage, either because they don't meet the work requirements or because they get overwhelmed by the paperwork. Meeting those requirements will be particularly challenging for the state's roughly 180,000 homeless people. They often have no phones or internet to complete a job application."
Street medicine providers in California, including those at USC Keck School of Medicine, are concerned about changes to Medi-Cal eligibility under President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." The new law requires able-bodied adults under 65 without dependent children to work 80+ hours monthly and verify eligibility every six months instead of annually. State officials estimate up to 2 million people—14% of California's Medi-Cal recipients—will lose coverage. Unhoused individuals face particular challenges meeting these requirements due to lack of phones, internet, stable housing, and mental health or addiction issues that impede employment.
#medi-cal-eligibility-changes #homelessness-and-healthcare #work-requirements #insurance-coverage-loss #street-medicine
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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