Q&A with Carlos Marquez of the County Welfare Directors Association of California: What H.R. 1 could mean for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and county eligibility offices

A growing dispute in Sacramento could determine whether hundreds of thousands of Californians eligible for Medi-Cal and CalFresh lose their health benefits under new federal rules.

A dispute in Sacramento is emerging over how California will implement H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and whether counties will have the staff needed to manage new federal eligibility requirements for programs such as Medi-Cal and CalFresh. State officials and county administrators agree the law will significantly increase administrative workload for the eligibility systems that determine who qualifies for benefits. But they disagree sharply on how many workers will be needed.

County agencies estimate the new rules could require more than 2,000 additional Medi-Cal eligibility workers and roughly 400 additional CalFresh workers statewide. But the Governor’s current proposal does not include funding for those positions.