California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing a freeze on new enrollment for low-income immigrants without legal status into the state's Medi-Cal program starting in 2026, and the introduction of monthly premiums for those already enrolled beginning in 2027.
The move is part of a broader effort to contain rising costs in the state's Medicaid system, which faces a $6.2 billion budget shortfall, and to address economic pressures from shifting federal trade policies.
