San Bernardino County said that beginning Jan. 1, 2027, some Medi‑Cal members will transition from a Medi‑Cal health plan to Fee‑for‑Service Medi‑Cal while keeping full‑scope coverage.

The county said the change is driven by new federal rules and will affect people with certain immigration statuses; the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) maintains the full list and plans to send impacted members another notice in December with more details.

What will change: members’ health plan enrollment will end and they will use their Medi‑Cal Beneficiary Identification Card (BIC) instead of a health plan card when receiving care; members must get care from a provider that accepts Fee‑for‑Service or choose a different provider that does.

What will not change: the county said impacted members will continue to have full‑scope Medi‑Cal and will not be required to pay for covered services; covered services cited include doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions, specialty care, dental and vision, mental health and substance use treatment, and non‑emergency transportation.

What members should do now: the county advised members to make sure the local county Medi‑Cal office has current immigration information and to provide updates by Dec. 1 through BenefitsCal or the county Medi‑Cal office if their status has changed; members should ask their doctor or clinic whether it accepts Fee‑for‑Service Medi‑Cal and locate their BIC or request a replacement if it is lost, stolen or damaged.

The county said members must read and respond to Medi‑Cal notices by the deadline provided; for general questions DHCS operates a Medi‑Cal helpline at 1‑800‑541‑5555 and the county said members should contact their local county Medi‑Cal office for case‑specific questions or updates.

Sources & methodology

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County of San Bernardino

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