When Donald Trump’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill (a k a HR 1) goes into effect later this year, it will require the County of Santa Barbara to reactivate its long-dormant Indigent Care Program at an estimated cost to the county of $11.4 million a year.
California law requires county governments to provide care for the medically indigent — those who are uninsured and unable to pay for their own care. When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, however, Santa Barbara County — like all 58 counties — found itself off the hook. Medi-Cal, as part of the Affordable Care Act, stepped in to provide such care. But under HR 1, many Medi-Cal beneficiaries will no longer qualify for Medi-Cal, because either they don’t meet work requirements or other new eligibility standards imposed by HR 1.
CenCal — which administers Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties — estimates 4,500 people now receiving Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara will cease to be eligible. This means the county will have to reactivate its Indigent Care Program.