STATEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES ON THE FEDERAL USE OF MEDI-CAL DATA AND MEMBER PRIVACY
SACRAMENTO —
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) remains committed to protecting the privacy and well-being of all Medi-Cal members. Recent reports and legal developments have raised serious concerns about how federal agencies use Medicaid data, including personal information for the more than 14 million Californians covered by Medi-Cal. We want to share what we know.
On December 29, 2025, a federal court ruled that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may share limited information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only for individuals who are not “lawfully residing” in the United States. However, some uncertainty remains as the federal government has not provided California with any information about how it plans to implement the court’s order. We will update this page with more information as it becomes available.
Information that may be shared about people who are not “lawfully residing” in the United States includes citizenship or immigration status, address, phone number, date of birth, and Medicaid ID. CMS must exclude anyone who is “lawfully residing” in the United States. If data of individuals who are not lawfully residing in the United States cannot be separated from the data that is still protected (e.g., data of lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizen data, sensitive health records, etc.), CMS cannot share the data with ICE. These restrictions remain in place while the
multistate lawsuit is ongoing.
DHCS is required by federal law to submit monthly reports to CMS through the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS). These reports include basic demographic and eligibility details, such as name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number (if provided) or Medicaid ID, and immigration status, for every Medi-Cal member. While the court order permits CMS to share limited data under specific conditions, DHCS remains committed to safeguarding member privacy and is monitoring developments closely.
In sharing data for immigration enforcement purposes, CMS has broken a 60-year commitment to protect the health and well-being of millions of families. Make no mistake: This is a grave breach of public trust. No one should be forced to live in fear of seeing the doctor or going to the emergency room.
Canceling Medi-Cal coverage today does not erase information already sent to immigration enforcement. For individuals concerned about how the federal government may use their personal information for immigration reasons, please consult a qualified attorney or qualified legal aid nonprofit organization.
- There are qualified organizations that provide immigration-related legal services:
- Information about mental health resources is available on the Immigration and California Families webpage.
- For information about your legal rights if you encounter immigration agents, there are fact sheets here in English and here in Spanish, with additional translations in development.
- If you are comfortable, you may contact your local embassy or consulate for legal assistance or guidance.
We are committed to transparency, privacy, and ensuring that all Californians, regardless of immigration status, feel safe accessing the care they need. We will continue to engage with community partners, share updates, and defend the health, well-being, and privacy of all Medi-Cal members.
Timeline:
- June 2025: DHCS learned CMS may have shared Medi-Cal member data with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- July 2025: CMS confirmed an agreement allowing ICE access to Medi-Cal member information, including names and addresses, from July 9, 2025, through September 9, 2026. ICE stated it intended to use this data for immigration enforcement.
- August 12, 2025: A federal court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the federal government from using California’s Medi-Cal data for immigration enforcement and preventing CMS from sharing that data. California joined a multistate lawsuit that led to this injunction.
- December 29, 2025: The court clarified CMS may share limited data about individuals not “lawfully residing” in the U.S.
UPDATED JANUARY 2, 2026