SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Close to 300 residents of Santa Maria—most of them migrant farmworkers—turned out Thursday, Feb. 12 for a community panel on Medi-Cal eligibility and citizenship requirements amid widespread confusion over new state and federal health care restrictions.
Representatives from state and local agencies presented critical information on Medi-Cal—California’s version of Medicaid, which provides free or low-cost health care to eligible enrollees—and answered questions during the two-hour forum.
“Medi-Cal is not going away. We are here to continue to provide healthcare to all of you,” said Yingjia Huang, deputy director of health care benefits and eligibility at the California Department of Health Care Services.
Medi-Cal renewal
Citing a budget shortfall, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last year that beginning in January 2026 undocumented immigrants would no longer qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal, which covers a full range of benefits from medical, dental and vision to prescription drug costs. Those who applied prior to the January cutoff will remain covered as long as they complete their annual renewals.
“Continue to return your yellow packets in the mail when they come to you,” said Huang, referring to re-enrollment applications sent by mail, noting enrollees have between 60 and 85 days to verify their eligibility and renew.
If they do not renew on time, she added, there is a 90-day grace period to complete the renewal. Those who fail to renew within that period will need to start a new application, which could mean losing some benefits due to recent changes.
Huang also announced that, starting in July 2027, a monthly fee of $30 will be implemented for Medi-Cal services. Families will be notified in advance so they can prepare.
“Don’t be afraid to apply,” she stressed. “We want to make sure you get the care that you deserve.”
The event, held at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Santa Maria, was organized by American Community Media in partnership with Tu Tiempo Digital, a Spanish-language news and information platform, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Simultaneous translations were provided in Spanish and Mixteco.
Additional changes to Medi-Cal include new work requirements, set to take effect in 2027, as well as tighter eligibility rules and enrollment caps. The changes are part of sweeping new restrictions included in H.R.1, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act signed into law in July 2025.
Immigrant raids stoke fear
More than 80% of residents in Santa Maria, a largely agricultural city about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, are either Latino or Mixteco, an indigenous community native to the southern Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero. Many work in the surrounding fields and are vital to Santa Barbara’s agricultural sector valued at more than $2 billion.
The city has been the target of major immigration enforcement operations as part of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign. The raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents caused widespread fear in the community. Parents skipped work and kids stayed home from school for fear of being detained.
Many families are also wary of sharing their information with local health care providers.
Huang insisted the state “is not giving information to [immigration] enforcement,” though she acknowledged data is shared with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of Medicaid funding requirements. “What happens with that information at the federal level is outside of the state’s control,” she said.
Tighter requirements for Medi-Cal, CalFresh
Nearly four out of ten residents in Santa Barbara—or roughly 172,000 people—rely on Medi-Cal, according to Jordan Turetsky, director of strategic engagement for CenCal Health, the Medi-Cal managed care plan serving Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Turetsky said that while the program does not determine eligibility, it is charged with delivering Medi-Cal related services.
Darío Predazzi, division chief with the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services, explained that, as with Medi-Cal, changes to CalFresh—California’s federally subsidized food assistance program—include tightened eligibility requirements, as well as reduced benefits.
“It’s important that people stay informed so they can make the best decisions for their families,” he told the audience, urging residents to sign up for text alerts though BenefitsCal.
Predazzi encouraged residents to use the county’s Farm Worker Resource Center, which provides services in multiple languages.
Language barriers
Language remains a key barrier to accessing health care for Santa Maria’s Mixteco residents, many of whom speak limited Spanish.
“Those barriers are real,” said Francisco Lozano, a longtime advocate for Santa Maria’s Mixteco community. “Speakers today have urged us to visit their web sites, to come to their offices and fill out applications,” he said, speaking in Spanish. “The truth is for many in the Mixteco community this isn’t possible.”
Lozano is credited with pushing Santa Maria’s schools to integrate Mixteco into the curriculum.
“With all the changes coming to Medi-Cal, how can we in the community access this information,” he said, highlighting the need for greater and more available translation services at the local level.
Despite the uncertainties, Michaela Killer-Westall, health care administrator with Santa Barbara County Public Health Clinics, urged the audience to come in with their questions and concerns.
“Our doors are open,” she said, explaining that County Health operates clinics and and programs for those who aren’t on Medi-Cal. “We want to help people.”
Other speakers included; Elia Rodriguez, associate director of Member Services with CenCal Health; and Griselda Melgoza, a spokesperson with DHCS.
Huang with DHCS echoed Killer-Westall, stressing the importance of enrolling, at one point handing her card to a father who had just lost coverage for himself and his son.
“If you need health care, you need health care,” she said. “The last thing you want is to end up in the hospital without coverage.”
Julieth Gualtero Baquero is a reporter with Peninsula 360 Press. Peter Schurmann contributed reporting for this story.
