Articles from CenCal Health

The Central Coast healthcare community is poised to advance behavioral health innovation following the approval of California’s 2026–27 state budget. The budget includes a one-time $5 million investment for CenCal Health and the behavioral health departments of both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to launch a groundbreaking behavioral health pilot focused on supporting individuals living with severe schizophrenia and anosognosia. The funding marks a significant milestone for CenCal Health and its community partners in a promising step forward to expand effective, community-based behavioral health care across the region.

This week CenCal Health announced the launch of CenCal CareConnect, a new Medicare Advantage health plan designed to make healthcare simpler for people who qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. Enrollment for the new plan begins October 15, 2025, with coverage starting January 1, 2026. CenCal CareConnect combines Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits into one coordinated plan, offering members a single point of contact, easier access to care, more personalized support, fewer administrative barriers, and enhanced benefits beyond those offered through traditional Medicare.

CenCal Health welcomed a distinguished cohort of health professionals in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties – including its dedicated primary care physicians, clinicians, specialists, hospitalists, and other community partners – to commemorate four decades of strengthening the region’s health system.

CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal health plan, was named the No. 1 best place to work by Pacific Coast Business Times in its 2021 survey of companies in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Determined by the results of an employee questionnaire and other criteria developed by the business weekly, CenCal Health also held the top spot in 2019, and second place in 2020 – last year Montecito Bank & Trust came in first. The full list of best places to work on the Central Coast for 2021 was published Friday.