LA County Board Acts to Protect Medi-Cal and CalFresh Access for 1.7 Million Residents Under New Federal Work Rules
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, in Los Angeles County, California, has approved a motion directing the county to safeguard access to Medi-Cal and CalFresh for as many as 1.7 million county residents at risk under new federal work requirements. The motion was introduced by Chair Pro Tem and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath.
The motion responds to H.R. 1, the federal budget reconciliation law signed on July 4, which enacts sweeping changes to public assistance programs. It expands work requirements for people receiving Medi-Cal through the Affordable Care Act expansion and for CalFresh enrollees, widens the age range of so-called able-bodied adults subject to the rules, adds new categories including veterans, former foster youth and people experiencing homelessness, and places additional administrative burdens on recipients and local agencies. The county estimates that as many as 1.5 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries could be at risk of losing coverage when the requirements take effect on January 1, 2027, while roughly 202,000 CalFresh recipients, more than double the current number, will be required to meet work requirements beginning February 1, 2026.
The motion directs county departments to prepare in advance, including identifying affected residents and strengthening outreach and assistance so eligible people do not lose benefits over paperwork and process. The county said Medi-Cal and CalFresh are its largest safety-net programs, with enrollment in the millions, and that rule changes of this scale require local preparation well ahead of the effective dates.
Solis has said federal policy changes should not cause county families to lose health care and food assistance overnight, and that the county will use its existing staff and outreach networks to help residents understand the new requirements and complete the needed reporting and documentation on time.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 加州圣迭戈 Hillcrest 农贸市场上的民众（资料图）。Edward O'Connor 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Shoppers at the Hillcrest Farmers Market in San Diego, California (file photo). Photo by Edward O'Connor, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
