H.R. 1 — What Our Community Needs to Know

Starting in 2027, adults ages 19–64 on Medi-Cal must prove they work, volunteer, or attend school for at least 80 hours per month — or lose coverage.

• Up to 3.4 million Californians could lose Medi-Cal coverage over the next decade
• Work requirements alone projected to force 1.4 million Californians off Medi-Cal in year one
• Eligibility re-checked every 6 months (instead of annually) — more chances to lose coverage over paperwork
• Hospitals serving Black communities — already at higher risk of closure — face deep funding cuts
• Rural and safety-net hospitals are especially vulnerable

Medi-Cal currently covers preventive care at no cost — mammograms, colonoscopies, prenatal visits, diabetes checkups, mental health services, HIV/PrEP, and more. These are at serious risk.

• Black women are already more likely to die from breast cancer due to gaps in screening access — losing Medi-Cal coverage makes this worse
• Prenatal and maternal care for low-income Black mothers would be significantly reduced
• Community health centers that serve uninsured and Medi-Cal patients face severe funding cuts
• Mental health services, substance use treatment, and crisis services would be deeply cut

Children are among the hardest hit. The bill cuts programs that low-income families depend on to keep kids healthy, fed, and in school.

• Parents with children as young as age 10 now face CalFresh work requirements — putting the whole family's food at risk
• When families lose CalFresh, kids may lose free/reduced school lunch too
• SNAP-Ed nutrition education programs for families are eliminated

• CHIP (children's health insurance) faces cuts through Medicaid reductions
• Babies born this year are projected to lose thousands of dollars in lifetime support due to combined cuts
• Foster youth aging out of the system lose key CalFresh protections after 2030

• Increased ICE enforcement is linked to a 22% rise in school absences in affected communities
• 1 in 6 school-age children lives in a household with at least one non-citizen adult
• Federal funds diverted to private school vouchers, reducing resources for public schools

Older Black Californians who depend on Medicaid for long-term care, home health aides, and nursing home stays are at significant risk. Medicare is also affected.

• Medicaid funds nursing home care for millions of low-income seniors — cuts put that coverage at risk
• Home health aide services, which allow elders to age at home, face severe funding pressure
• Nursing homes and assisted living facilities that rely on Medicaid reimbursement may close or reduce services
• Elders aged 65+ are now subject to new SNAP work requirements — a first in program history

• H.R. 1 is estimated to accelerate Medicare insolvency by one year
• Prescription drug costs for seniors on both Medicare and Medicaid may increase as programs are restructured
• The bill does not cut Social Security directly — but the $4.1 trillion added to the deficit could pressure future cuts
• Black seniors — who are more likely to rely on Medicaid and public benefits — face a double burden

H.R. 1 cuts $187 billion from SNAP — the largest single cut to food assistance in U.S. history. About 22 million families nationwide could lose some or all of their benefits.

• 5.2 million Californians currently rely on CalFresh
• 840,000 California adults will be newly subject to time limits under this bill
• Over 754,000 Californians could lose benefits entirely; 3 million could see reductions

• Adults up to age 65 must now meet work requirements (previously capped at 55)
• Parents with children ages 7 and up are no longer automatically exempt from work requirements
• States must now pay 75% of SNAP administrative costs — up from 50% — likely forcing state-level cuts
• SNAP-Ed nutrition education programs are fully eliminated starting 2026
• Refugees, asylees, and domestic violence survivors lose CalFresh eligibility immediately

Education — from early childhood through college — takes major hits under this bill.

• About 4.4 million Pell Grant recipients face new restrictions — 2 out of every 3 Pell Grant students could be impacted
• Students who receive scholarships covering their full tuition can no longer “stack” a Pell Grant on top
• Grad PLUS loans eliminated entirely — graduate students can no longer borrow up to full cost of attendance; the gap must be covered by private loans at higher rates
• New repayment plans: most income-driven plans replaced by the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) — monthly payments may increase for recent graduates

Student Level	Annual Cap	Lifetime Cap
Undergraduate	No change	No change
Graduate	$20,500/yr	$100,000
Professional (law, med, dentistry)	$50,000/yr	$200,000
Universal cap (all levels combined)	—	$257,500
Parent PLUS	$20,000/yr	$65,000 per student

• SNAP and Medicaid cuts ripple into school lunch eligibility — fewer students automatically qualify for free meals
• Federal dollars diverted to private school vouchers ($1,700 per taxpayer) at the expense of public schools
• States could lose school funding tied to SNAP/Medicaid enrollment numbers

H.R. 1 dramatically expands immigration enforcement while stripping away benefits — even for people here legally. Black immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean, and Central America are directly impacted.

• Refugees, asylees, TPS holders, and domestic violence survivors lose SNAP eligibility now
• Medicaid and CHIP access revoked for many noncitizens starting October 2026
• New fees with no waivers: $550 to apply for work authorization, $500+ for TPS registration, $100+ annually for pending asylum cases
• 1% tax on money wired to family abroad (remittances)

• $170 billion invested in immigration enforcement — ICE detention capacity increases by 308%
• Expanded deportation powers, including for long-term residents with criminal records
• Local and state law enforcement can now be paid to assist with deportations
• Children can be detained in family detention facilities; key legal protections for minors weakened

H.R. 1 doesn't eliminate housing programs outright — but the cuts it makes to Medi-Cal and CalFresh create cascading effects on housing stability.

• Losing Medi-Cal or CalFresh can make it harder to pay rent, utilities, and basic household costs
• LIHEAP (energy assistance for low-income households) faces budget pressure and potential cuts driven by H.R. 1’s deficit spending
• Section 8 and HUD programs are not directly cut in this bill, but rising deficits put future funding at risk
• Families who lose benefits often face eviction and homelessness — which worsens health outcomes

Most changes take effect in 2026–2027, but action is needed now to protect yourself and your family.

• Stay enrolled — don’t let Medi-Cal or CalFresh lapse. Respond to every renewal letter
• Update your mailing address with your county social services office immediately
• Visit yourcbhn.org/resources for provider directories and legal aid connections

• Call or write your state legislators — tell them how these cuts affect your family
• Join community advocacy events with CBHN — follow us on social media for dates
• Share this FAQ with neighbors, family, and friends — especially elders who may not know what’s coming

While millions of working families lose healthcare, food, and education support, the top 10% of earners see their incomes rise by an average of 2.7% from tax cuts. The bottom 10% see their incomes drop by 3.1%.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 1 is one of the most regressive bills in decades — meaning it transfers wealth upward while cutting the floor out from under those with the least.