The landscape and conversation surrounding equitable healthcare access is in full throttle as Californians enter the fourth quarter of the year and onward into 2027 post the passing of the federal administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill”.
Health advocates, community leaders, and trusted community partners gathered Sept. 22 at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles to host their first inaugural Connectors to Coverage Health Summit. The event focused on providing a space where Californians can inform themselves of the latest healthcare changes regarding insurance and prepare for Open Enrollment.
The H.R. 1, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into effect by Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. It is a major federal tax and budget reconciliation law that, according to the Center for American Progress and NAACP, will eventually disproportionately hurt marginalized and low-income communities by executing historic federal spending cuts to social safety programs such as SNAP and Medicaid in order to fund permanent tax breaks that mainly benefit corporations and ultra-wealthy households.
Angela Chang, the Chief Strategy Officer for KCAL Insurance Company, said, “The federal change happened with H.R. 1 — yes, the ‘beautiful bill’ — but its enforcement is happening now. For 2026, people who were previously eligible can keep their subsidies through the end of the year, but starting January 1, 2027, they no longer qualify for financial help on new policies.”
The event included a panel consisting of Jessica Altman, Executive Director of Covered California, Angela Chang, Chief Strategy Officer of KCAL Insurance Agency, and Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). It also featured two breakout sessions, one held by Dr. Monica Soni, Chief Medical Officer of Covered California.
The discussions focused on how recent federal changes will affect eligibility, renewals, and federal tax credits for some consumers. Many Californians may be reading news headlines suggesting that support is completely dwindling, but health care advocates and professionals offered a different perspective: support and resources for equitable healthcare remain possible despite changes.
Chang explained how recent federal changes to subsidy eligibility affect Chinese political asylum seekers. She shed light on how H.R. 1 –the Big Beautiful Bill– will phase out subsidies for many in that community by 2027, intensifying financial hardship during upcoming enrollment periods.
“So many in my community — Chinese political asylum seekers who got temporary green cards eight years ago — are now being told they’re ineligible for subsidies. Their passports are expiring, their status is still ‘temporary,’ and suddenly they’re facing the question, ‘Can I even afford coverage after doing everything the legal way?’” said Chang.
She continued, “Chinese asylum seekers should stay on top of updates from Covered California and reach out for help — it’s free and confidential. There are community organizations with certified enrollers who can walk them through their options, and they should also talk to their immigration attorneys so they’re making decisions with accurate information, not social media rumors.”
Salas noted that upcoming 2027 healthcare changes post-H.R. 1 will affect immigrants differently based on citizenship status. While naturalized citizens and green card holders are largely protected, asylum seekers, refugees, and others with temporary status face uncertainty due to federal reimbursement cuts and public charge risks.
“The state of California has made a decision to extend coverage towards the summer of 2027… As we have now a change in the—well, we will have a new governor, that governor is going to have to make a decision as to whether all of these asylum seekers, humanitarian parole, refugees, etc. continue to be covered or not, and our hope and our push is going to be that they are,” she said.
She continued, “I just want to remind the public and remind immigrants themselves: you’re paying taxes every time you work, every time you shop… we can’t just have one group of people penalized in terms of healthcare. We’re a collective body as a state, and what we want to do is shared advancement, but also shared sacrifice.”
Also, outside of immigration status, it is just a matter of each Californian’s income level and depends on who each person is, in regard to their health plan, that determines the amount of financial support they may qualify for according to Covered California’s Executive Director Jessica Altman.
“We also have the state of California providing more support for Covered California members, and we’ve estimated that 60 percent of our members are going to pay [overall] the same amount for their coverage in 2027 as 2026. No cost increase. There are some people who will pay less because they’re going to get more of the support from California. Then, we have some people who are going to lose a lot because of decisions the federal government is making. This is why we need people to know which of those people that they are, so they can then make the right decision for them from there,” said Altman.
Altman emphasized that marginalized communities are not helpless despite federal policy shifts. She shared that healthcare consumers need personalized information from trusted messengers, requiring government agencies and community organizations to work together.
“The federal government is doing a lot of things to try and harm certain populations. They’re [also] attacking gender affirming care. They’re attacking reproductive rights,” said Altman. “I think the first concrete step is being empowered with information. There are some people who have information and other people who have the trust]. Let’s get them all together and show up as a cohesive community.”
Nearly 4 out of 5 people receive financial help to pay for health coverage, according to data from Covered California. Covered California is a free insurance marketplace connecting individuals, families, and small businesses to health, dental, and vision plans that fit their needs. It is the only organization that offers financial help to lower what people typically pay for health insurance. Californians are encouraged to explore options at CoveredCA.com.
