Humboldt Behavioral Health Board hears legislative briefing on Medi‑Cal eligibility changes, budget gap and bills affecting county services

The Humboldt County Behavioral Health Board received a legislative update April 23 from Nancy Starck, legislative program manager for the county Department of Health and Human Services. Starck told the board the governor’s preliminary estimates for the 2026–27 budget included a wide deficit range presented in the materials as roughly $3 billion to $18 billion; staff also noted that revenue collections were coming in higher than expected and that proposals to raise revenue remained under consideration.

Starck said county staff are tracking 266 active state bills (31 of which relate to behavioral health) and 24 active federal bills. She highlighted SB 1373, a bipartisan mental‑health diversion bill that has passed committee, and AB 1540, a measure related to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for LGBTQ youth that a local advisory board supported. Starck also summarized staff concerns about proposed federal changes that could narrow Medi‑Cal eligibility beginning in 2027, require recertification every six months for some enrollees, and add work requirements for able‑bodied adults 19–64; the transcript references “HR” but did not record a specific bill number for the federal proposals.

Board members asked questions during the discussion about how proposed changes could increase county costs and about funding requests counties are pursuing for eligibility work, indigent care and behavioral health services. The briefing noted that Humboldt County currently has about 54,000 Medi‑Cal enrollees, roughly 21,000 of whom the materials identify as ACA‑expansion enrollees based on income. Starck said counties are advocating for state funding to offset potential lost revenue and increased administrative workload if federal rules change. The board did not take a formal vote on these items during the meeting.