We understand that you may have concerns about your privacy, particularly regarding your immigration status. We assure you that we are committed to protecting your personal information to the fullest extent of the law. Here's what you should know:

Your privacy and recent actions by the Federal government:

Your medical information, including any information about your immigration status that is linked to your identity, is considered protected under California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

However, we recognize that recent reports, such as the Trump administration’s transfer of Medicaid enrollee data to federal immigration authorities, have raised legitimate concerns about data privacy and trust in government systems. At the County of San Luis Obispo, we limit the collection of immigration status information. We only ask about immigration status when it is absolutely necessary to determine eligibility for specific programs, such as Medi-Cal. Remember, you are not required to answer questions about your immigration status. You may say you prefer not to answer.

We do not share individual-level enrollment data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal immigration authorities unless presented with a signed, federal judicial warrant or a court order.

However, we want to be transparent: some information entered into state or federally managed systems may be accessible to federal agencies, and once shared beyond the local level, it may be outside of our control. We encourage individuals and families to make the decisions that feel safest and most appropriate for their unique situations. We share this information to support informed choices and reaffirm our local commitment to privacy, equity, and trust.

We limit collection of immigration status information.

We will only collect information about your immigration status if it is absolutely necessary to determine your eligibility for specific programs, such as Medi-Cal. Remember, you are not required to answer questions about your immigration status. You may say you prefer not to answer.  

We generally do not share your information with immigration enforcement.

We will not share your information with immigration enforcement agencies unless you provide explicit, written consent and such disclosure is not prohibited by law (e.g. CMIA), or we are required to do so by a valid judicial warrant or court order. 

You have rights.

You have the right to request that we do not collect your immigration status (unless required for program eligibility) and that we remove it from your medical records if it's not legally required to be there.

Our programs will not make you a "public charge."

Under current federal law, using most health services, including Medi-Cal, will not make you a "public charge" for immigration purposes. The only health benefit considered for public charge is long-term institutional care (such as in a nursing home) at government expense. Also, the public-charge test does not apply to many immigrants.

Our doors are open to you

We encourage all members of our community to seek the care you need. Your health and well-being are our priorities.