The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) is aware of Associated Press, Wired and Los Angeles Times reporting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may have direct access to Medicaid (Medi-Cal) data. We are still working with state authorities to confirm the extent, but based off the reporting, ICE may have access to a wide variety of personal data, from medical information to home addresses. Further, per multiple news outlets the purpose of this unprecedented access is to allow ICE to identify and locate non-U.S. citizens.
Our agency only uses client personal information to determine eligibility for benefits like Medi-Cal. That information is stored in a state-run database. Under federal oversight laws, California is required to provide some data to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The County of Orange was not involved in the decision to transfer any client data to the Department of Homeland Security or ICE. We caution clients that disenrolling from benefits will not retroactively remove their personal information from the state-run database.
We understand that this news may create fear or hesitation in seeking services, but our mission remains clear — to serve all members of our community with compassion, integrity and respect.