In response to the drastic federal funding cuts that put our communities’ health, safety, and stability at risk, Silicon Valley Community Foundation established the Community Lifeline Fund (CLF) to support the region’s already fragile safety-net system. On October 30, 2025, Valley Health Foundation (VHF) was selected to administer the Community Lifeline - Access to Healthcare Grant Program, one pillar of the Community Lifeline Fund.
Background
Earlier this year Congress passed, and the President signed, legislation (H.R. 1) that restricts access to Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal in California) resulting in the largest cut in the program’s history. Major changes to Medi-Cal include new work and reporting requirements for enrollees to maintain coverage, restrictions on eligibility for immigrant populations, and reduced funding for providers that help close the gap between the cost of care and base Medi-Cal payments . Medi-Cal serves 15 million California residents, including almost 450,000 in Santa Clara County, and the magnitude of these cuts will touch every part of the Medi-Cal program, including enrollees, providers and state/county agencies that administer the program. These impacts include:
- Decreased enrollment: California’s Medi-Cal agency predicts that 20% or 3 million of the state’s Medi-Cal population could lose coverage. In Santa Clara County that would amount to almost 90,000 individuals losing insurance.
- Reduced federal funding: Santa Clara County estimates a loss of federal funds for Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) growing to $1.3B per year by fiscal year 2029-2030. Non-County community clinics are estimating millions in lost revenue every year.
- Additional bureaucracy and reporting: County and state agencies must adhere to new federal reporting requirements including work requirements for non-elderly adult Medi-Cal enrollees and 6-month redeterminations.
Notice of Funding Opportunity & Request for Application
Access to Healthcare: Rapid Response Innovation (RRI) Grant
VHF will provide grant funding to eligible health providers, enrollment entities, nonprofits, schools, and other eligible organizations to implement innovative rapid-response strategies to mitigate loss of coverage for vulnerable populations with a focus on retention, renewals, redetermination, and preserving access to primary and preventative care for individuals barred from enrollment.
Request for Application Links
- VHF - Access to Healthcare: Rapid Response Innovation Grant RFA
- VHF - ACH Authorization Form
- VHF - Insurance Requirements
- VHF - RRI Grant Sample Reporting Form
- VHF - Sample Board Resolution
- VHF - Submittable Training Guide
Access to Healthcare: Future Opportunities
Subject to the availability of future funding and community needs, VHF will aim to launch additional opportunities to strengthen the local health safety-net.
More Information
For questions about the Community Lifeline - Access to Healthcare Grant Program, please email us at lifeline@vhfca.org
The Community Lifeline - Access to Healthcare Grant Program has been made possible in part by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
