Protecting health care for Californians experiencing homelessness.
About the Stay Covered Coalition.
The Stay Covered Coalition formed in 2026 to address unprecedented threats to Medicaid coverage for Californians experiencing homelessness.
2025 H.R.1 Medicaid changes included community engagement requirements known as “work requirements” and more frequent redetermination processes. The regulations will create particular challenges for people experiencing homelessness, who often face barriers to receiving mail, maintaining documentation, accessing technology, and responding quickly to eligibility notices. Given the high rates of complex health and social needs in this population, Medicaid coverage is vital for continued access to health care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and housing-related services.
The Coalition will draw on the knowledge, relationships, and constituencies of its member organizations and partners to build a more coordinated policy and community response to the upcoming Medicaid changes. Over the next two years, the Coalition will share tools and best practices with state and local partners and providers to support efforts that help unhoused Californians maintain coverage.
Who we are.
The Coalition is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and CommonSpirit Health, and brings together the California Street Medicine Collaborative (CSMC), Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Homebase, Klurfeld Consulting, and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) to prevent unhoused Californians from losing Medicaid. The Center for Health Care Strategies serves as a collaborating partner to the Coalition.
What you can expect from us.
Practical resources that help organizations support people experiencing homelessness in maintaining Medicaid coverage.
Convening partners and learning spaces across health care, housing, homelessness, and government systems to share best practices.
Advancing policy and operational practices to reduce avoidable coverage losses and strengthen access to care.
Upcoming
Stay Covered Toolkit Launch Webinar Series
The Stay Covered Coalition is hosting a two-part webinar series to launch the upcoming Stay Covered Toolkit, a California-specific resource to help organizations support Californians experiencing homelessness in keeping their Medi-Cal.
Webinar 1: November 12 @9am PT
An introduction to the Stay Covered Coalition toolkit and how to use it. We'll cover the basics of what is changing and why it matters for people experiencing homelessness, and show you the tools and resources available to you.
Webinar 2: December 3 @11:30am PST
A deeper dive into new work and community engagement requirements and medical frailty exemptions. We'll look at who must meet the requirements, who may be excused, and how to help clients document it.
Who should attend: Homeless service providers, health care providers, street medicine providers, CoC staff, health plans, and anyone else who helps people with their Medi-Cal.
Resources from the Coalition.
Additional resources and information.
The following are practical resources and information from Coalition partners and other sources.
Updated Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements: Summary & Actions (National Health Care for the Homeless Council)
Letter to states with work requirement recommendations (National Health Care for the Homeless Council)
Internal Strategies to Prepare for Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements (National Health Care for the Homeless Council)
Medicaid “Community Engagement” Compliance Checklist (National Health Care for the Homeless Council)
Join us every month for office hours.
The Stay Covered Coalition hosts virtual office hours on the second Wednesday of each month from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. PT. These sessions provide a peer learning space to discuss the implementation of Medicaid changes, share strategies and resources, and explore how we can support Californians experiencing homelessness in getting enrolled and staying covered.
Don’t miss an update.
Sign up to receive practical tools, resources, and strategy updates from the Coalition.
To contact the coalition, please email: staycovered@homebaseccc.org
Learn More About the Coalition Partners.
California Street Medicine Collaborative
The California Street Medicine Collaborative (CSMC) is a statewide learning, policy, and practice network of 1,000+ members, including 275+ organizational members, 80+ street medicine teams, and 21+ health plans across 35 counties, working together to strengthen care for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Since our founding in 1991, CSH has advanced affordable and accessible housing aligned with services by advocating for effective policies and funding, investing in communities, and strengthening the supportive housing field. As an intermediary, we center our approach on collaboration with a wide range of people, partners, and sectors.
Homebase
Homebase is a mission-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to building community capacity to end homelessness, reduce poverty, and foster thriving communities.
Klurfeld Consulting
Alison Klurfeld (Klurfeld Consulting, LLC) is an independent consultant who helps organizations integrate health and housing programs.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
Grounded in human rights and social justice, National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s (NHCHC’s) mission is to build an equitable, high-quality health care system through training, research, and advocacy in the movement to end homelessness.
For more information, please contact staycovered@homebaseccc.org.