California health plans are preparing for a demanding 2027 under H.R. 1. Medi-Cal eligibility changes, increased redetermination cycles, behavioral health initiatives, and expanding regulatory requirements are converging, putting new pressure on how plans support members and coordinate care.

Blooming Health’s Owen Silver and Phillip Harker attended the 2026 California Association of Health Plans (CAHP) Conference, where these challenges helped frame discussions about the future of Medi-Cal. Across the conference agenda and their conversations, a central theme emerged: implementing policy changes will require sustained attention to the people navigating them.

For health plans, that means preparing members for new requirements, helping them access services, and giving care teams the capacity to follow through. Here are five takeaways shaping that work.

1. Increased Redeterminations Will Become an Operational Challenge

More frequent eligibility reviews will create additional points when members need to understand and act on renewal requirements. According to current Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) guidance, six-month eligibility checks for some adults ages 19–64 begin March 1, 2027.

For plans and their county and community partners, this creates a recurring need to identify who requires support, explain the next step, and follow up before deadlines pass.

An effective outreach strategy should account for outdated contact information, language preferences, and members who need help completing paperwork. A renewal notice can start that process; two-way communication helps teams understand what is preventing someone from finishing it.

The practical priority is to make renewal support part of ongoing member engagement, with clear responsibilities across the organizations involved.

2. The Shift From Managed Care To Fee-For-Service Will Require Clear Member Guidance for Immigrants

CAHP discussions highlighted the challenges facing immigrant communities as California prepares to move certain Medi-Cal members, including undocumented members, from managed care to fee-for-service beginning January 1, 2027. For affected immigrant members, the change raises practical questions: Can they keep seeing their doctor? Where can they find a participating provider? Who can help them understand their benefits?

Those questions come amid concerns about immigration enforcement, adding another layer of uncertainty for people navigating changes to their care. Clear communication from trusted health plans, providers, and community organizations will be essential.

Outreach should explain which immigrant members are affected, what is changing, and how to continue accessing covered services. Multilingual, two-way communication can give members an opportunity to ask questions, confirm their next steps, and connect with someone who can help resolve concerns. (Medi-Cal)

3. Whole-Person Care Requires Stronger Coordination Across Organizations

The conference’s Medi-Cal sessions placed CalAIM, behavioral health integration, and integrated Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage alongside questions about the program’s future.

These initiatives bring coordination into everyday operations. California’s statewide Transitional Rent requirement, which began in January 2026 for eligible members of the behavioral health population of focus, is one example. The expansion of Medi-Medi plans is another, bringing integrated coverage to more people who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. (DHCS)

For members, accessing these benefits can involve multiple organizations, eligibility requirements, and handoffs. Plans, providers, county agencies, and community-based organizations need a shared understanding of who is responsible for the next step.

A referral should lead to follow-up. Organizations need to partner with each other and provide visibility into whether the member is connected with the service, what barriers remain, and who can help resolve them. That visibility supports more consistent care coordination and helps teams recognize when additional intervention is needed. Technology that integrates across systems will be key in growing these partnerships.

4. Regulatory Priorities Are Bringing Member Access Into Sharper Focus

The session on Department of Managed Health Care priorities highlighted a broad regulatory agenda, including provider directories, network adequacy, and access to behavioral health services.

For plans, these priorities connect compliance work directly to the member experience. Accurate provider information helps someone find care. Network adequacy and behavioral health access affect whether that person can secure an appropriate appointment.

Member feedback can help plans understand where access problems arise. Difficulty finding an available provider, confusion about a referral, or repeated unsuccessful attempts to schedule care can signal issues that deserve follow-up.

Building ways to capture and act on that information can support both operational improvement and a clearer understanding of members’ experiences.

Preparing for 2027

The trends highlighted at CAHP point toward a growing need for consistent, coordinated member support at scale. Coverage changes and new benefits will each require people to understand their options and complete unfamiliar steps.

For health plans, preparation starts with the workflows behind those moments: reaching members across channels and languages, recognizing barriers early, and ensuring someone follows through. Those capabilities will help determine how effectively policy changes translate into access to care.

Blooming Health helps health plans, systems, government agencies, FQHCs, and community-based organizations automate outreach and follow-up across channels and languages, helping people complete next steps and connect with care and services while reducing administrative work for staff.

Talk to our team to explore how Blooming Health’s solutions can help your organization connect more members to care, at scale.