If you have Medi-Cal in Los Angeles County and recently received a notice about your immigration status, you may be wondering one thing:
Am I losing my health coverage?
Not necessarily.
New federal rules taking effect October 1, 2026 change which immigration categories qualify for federally funded full-scope Medi-Cal. But the change does not affect everyone, and Los Angeles County says people who are affected may continue receiving state-funded full-scope Medi-Cal for a period of time if they remain otherwise eligible.
More than 3.1 million people receive Medi-Cal in L.A. County. As of June 2026, about 365,250 noncitizens were identified as having Satisfactory Immigration Status, but the County says it does not yet know how many people specifically fall into the immigration categories affected by the new federal definition.
Who may be affected?
The federal change narrows the immigration categories that qualify for federal Medicaid funding.
According to the County, categories that may be affected include some:
- Lawful permanent residents who have not completed the federal five-year waiting period and do not qualify for an exemption
- Refugees
- Asylees
- Amerasian immigrants
- People granted withholding of deportation or removal
- Certain conditional entrants
- People paroled into the United States for one year or more
- Certain battered noncitizens and their parents or children
- Victims of human trafficking
- People granted humanitarian parole
The important word is may. Your individual eligibility depends on your immigration category and other Medi-Cal requirements. California’s DHCS guidance on the federal changes provides the current status-by-status information.
Who is not affected by this federal change?
Some people remain eligible for federally funded full-scope Medi-Cal, assuming they meet the other eligibility requirements.
The County identifies certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, people from Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau who qualify under the Compacts of Free Association, and lawful permanent residents who have completed the five-year waiting period or qualify for an exemption.
Separate California Medi-Cal rules also protect children, pregnant people and certain former foster youth regardless of immigration status. (DHCS)
So the headline is not “everyone without citizenship is losing Medi-Cal.” The rules are more specific than that.
What happens if the federal change does affect you?
For people who are currently eligible for Medi-Cal and are affected by the federal funding change, California says they may continue receiving state-funded full-scope Medi-Cal through June 30, 2027, as long as they remain otherwise eligible. (DHCS)
Then another change begins.
Starting January 1, 2027, affected members will move from Medi-Cal managed care into Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service, according to the County and DHCS.
Fee-for-Service does not mean you pay a fee. Medi-Cal continues to cover the cost of covered care. Instead, the way you receive that care changes: you can use doctors, clinics and hospitals that accept Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service. (DHCS)
That could matter if your current doctor does not accept Fee-for-Service Medi-Cal.
DHCS advises affected members to ask their providers whether they will accept the new coverage arrangement and to find another provider if necessary.
What should you do if you get a Medi-Cal notice?
This is where the change becomes practical.
Read the entire notice. Don’t assume the first sentence means your coverage is ending.
Check the deadline. Some notices require information or action from you.
Keep your address and contact information current with the county.
Complete your Medi-Cal renewal on time. Missing a renewal or failing to provide requested information can create a separate eligibility problem.
Don’t cancel your coverage because you’re confused by the notice. Get help understanding what applies to your individual case.
L.A. County’s Keep Your Benefits program offers information, resources and multilingual webinars about the Medi-Cal changes.
Read our coverage on why Medi-Cal renewals matter in its earlier guide on California’s return to checking Medi-Cal eligibility.
Where can L.A. County Medi-Cal members get help?
For general Medi-Cal questions, the Medi-Cal Helpline is 800-541-5555, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (DHCS)
You can also contact your county Medi-Cal office for help understanding a notice or questioning whether the new immigration-status rules apply to you.
And if you’re looking for the bigger picture, view our reporting on California’s changing Medi-Cal rules for immigrant families provides additional context on changes unfolding through 2027.
The most important thing to know today
October 1 changes who qualifies for federal funding, but that is not the same thing as saying everyone affected immediately loses Medi-Cal.
Some people remain federally eligible. Others may continue with state-funded full-scope coverage through June 30, 2027 if they remain eligible. And the County does not yet have a precise count of how many L.A. County residents fall into the newly affected categories. (Los Angeles County)
So if you receive a notice, don’t guess what it means.
Read it. Check the deadline. Renew on time. And get help before making a decision about your coverage.
