Inland Empire Health Plan Preps for 350,000-Member Loss Under HR 1
Inland Empire Health Plan, a public Medi-Cal managed care plan covering 1.4 million people in Southern California, is preparing for the potential loss of up to 350,000 members once HR 1's Medicaid work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks take effect nationwide in 2027. CEO Jarrod McNaughton told Becker's the plan stopped backfilling vacant positions two years ago, shrinking headcount from 4,400 to 3,600 through attrition to avoid future layoffs. IEHP has also built a provider portal tool flagging members with redeterminations due within 60 days, prompting front-office staff to help patients stay enrolled, and is steering members who lose Medi-Cal coverage toward its ACA exchange plan as a safety net. McNaughton said he worries the new rules will become "a paperwork obstacle" that drops eligible people from coverage because counties can't keep pace with processing demands.