Gold Coast Health Plan Denounces Sharing of Medicaid Enrollment Data with Department of Homeland Security

CAMARILLO, Calif., June 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP), the local Medi-Cal plan for Ventura County, is deeply concerned about the possibility of sensitive Medicaid enrollment data—including names, addresses, and immigration statuses—being shared with the Department of Homeland Security as reported by the Associated Press. According to the article, the data sharing was conducted "despite internal objections from Medicaid officials" and without consent from states, health plans, or members.

The data includes information from individuals in various states, including California, that allow those with "unsatisfactory immigration status" to enroll in Medicaid programs funded by state dollars.

"This breach is not just a policy failure—it is a moral one," said Dr. Felix Nuñez, GCHP's chief executive officer. "Trust is the foundation of our health system. Undermining that trust by turning health care into a tool of immigration enforcement jeopardizes the well-being of entire communities. We must protect the right to seek care without fear."

Laura Espinosa, chair of GCHP's governing board, the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission, said news of the data release has heightened the anxieties of a population that is already on edge due to increased activity of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents in recent days.

"We stand with our community in denouncing the relentless targeting of our immigrant communities," Espinosa said. "Any use of Medicaid data to further target specific communities will cause irreparable damage."

GCHP became of aware that false rumors were circulating in the community indicating that GCHP had shared the information with ICE.

"Gold Coast Health Plan did not release, and will never release, any private member information to immigration authorities," Dr. Nuñez said. "Any rumor suggesting otherwise is completely false and deeply harmful to the communities we serve."

About Gold Coast Health Plan

Gold Coast Health Plan proudly serves more than 240,000 Medi-Cal members in Ventura County through its network of primary care physicians, specialists, behavioral health providers and hospitals. Since it was founded in 2011, Gold Coast Health Plan has been committed to providing access to high-quality care and improving the health of its members, which include 1 in 3 county residents, 1 in 6 seniors, and 1 in 2 children up to the age of 5. To learn more, visit: www.goldcoasthealthplan.org.

SOURCE Gold Coast Health Plan