Urges Lawmakers to Rollback Freeze on Medi-Cal Sacramento, CA – In a move praised by health and immigrant rights advocates, the California State Senate Democrats yesterday released their proposed 2026-2027 state budget which rejects or delays many of the harmful cuts proposed in Governor Newsom’s January budget. The health of even more Californians could be […] The post Health4All Coalition Praises State Senate for Taking Action to Protect Health Care for California’s Immigrants appeared first on Health Access.
Urges Lawmakers to Rollback Freeze on Medi-Cal
Sacramento, CA – In a move praised by health and immigrant rights advocates, the California State Senate Democrats yesterday released their proposed 2026-2027 state budget which rejects or delays many of the harmful cuts proposed in Governor Newsom’s January budget. The health of even more Californians could be protected if lawmakers undo the cuts all together, and support a plan to rollback the current freeze in Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented Californians, as proposed in SB 1422 (Durazo).
The Coalition appreciates Pro Tem Monique Limón, Senate Budget Chair Laird and Subcommittee Chair Menjivar’s focus on rejecting these cruel cuts, and we urge the State Assembly and Governor to adopt the changes proposed by the State Senate, which include:
- Maintaining full-scope Medi-Cal for asylees and others who are no longer eligible for federal funding.
- California immigrants with varying statuses were set to lose their dental coverage in just under 3 months. This budget plan delays that cut to January 1, 2028, giving folks plenty of time to get the dental care needed.
- Delaying the imposition of Medi-Cal premiums – which put a huge cost burden on already struggling families – for undocumented Californians to January 1, 2028.
- Delaying reductions to clinics to January 1, 2028.
The Senate budget proposal continues the freeze on enrollment for income-eligible adults, which has already led to thousands of Californians losing care. Locking people out of coverage based solely on immigration status is a discriminatory practice that advocates believe should end immediately.
“We appreciate the steps that Senators have taken to put our state’s budget back on a path that leads us toward a California where everyone has access to health care — no matter where they were born,” said Christine Smith, Policy & Legislative Advocate for Health Access California. “While the delay in many of Governor Newsom’s proposed cuts is important progress, there is more work to be done. We urge our state budget leaders to stand with the millions of Californians whose health care is still on the line and end the Medi-Cal enrollment freeze. Undocumented immigrants are the very fabric of our communities, and they deserve the dignity and security to maintain access to preventative and primary care.”
“While we commend the Senators for bringing us closer to restoring the health care coverage our communities relied on before the 2025 state budget cuts, there is still critical work ahead,” said Carlos Alarcon, CIPC’s Health Policy Manager. “Delaying Gov. Newsom’s planned reductions to Medi-Cal coverage and benefits is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. Thousands of undocumented Californians have already lost their Medi-Cal coverage and remain locked out of re-enrollment through no fault of their own. We look forward to working with our legislative leaders to ensure that their millions of undocumented constituents are able to again access and maintain the care they need and deserve.”
“We are pleased with the Senate’s efforts to push back on harmful cuts to Medi-Cal. We are seeing how the current cuts are creating disruption and uncertainty, with real impacts on people’s ability to access care across California,” said Mar Velez, Director of Policy for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “The proposed delays to cuts to dental and push back of premiums for undocumented Californians by the Senate will help bring some relief, however, immigrant communities remain frozen out of coverage. These actions are another temporary, band-aid fix to a much deeper issue. California must finish the job—fully restore Health4All by ending the enrollment freeze, and uphold its commitment to equitable access to care for all.”
“We commend the Senate leaders who took a stand for immigrant health, rejecting cruel cuts to care for survivors of domestic violence, trafficking and other traumas. We also appreciate the Senate’s plan to pause elimination of dental benefits for immigrant adults and implementation of premiums that would push immigrant families out of coverage. These are the right choices for our health – and future budgets, since delayed care is more expensive care,” said Kiran Savage-Sangwan, Executive Director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. “Large corporations that profit off the hard work of Californians should pay back into our health care system, particularly when many will reap billions in new tax cuts under Trump and Congressional Republicans’ H.R.1. We look forward to details of the Senate’s ‘Fair Share’ proposal and to ensuring the needs of Medi-Cal members are prioritized.”
This announcement will kick start budget hearings and analysis leading up to the Governor’s May Revision announcement, set for mid-May that will give lawmakers a clearer budget outlook as they head into final negotiations.
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Media Contacts:
Rachel Linn Gish, Health Access California Communications Director, [email protected]
Ed Sifuentes, CIPC Communications Director, [email protected]
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