2026 Medi-Cal Capacity Grant Program (Round 2)

Round 2 Funding

CenCal Health recognizes the evolving healthcare landscape across the Central Coast, and the opportunity to work with provider stakeholders to bolster and maintain access to care through strategic and community-oriented investments. CenCal Health will support these and other locally identified initiatives by reinvesting Medi-Cal funds back into our service area through Round 2 of our Medi-Cal Capacity, Access, and Workforce Grant Program (Capacity Grant Program).

The Capacity Grant Program is open to eligible providers and provider groups that are currently contracted or in the process of contracting with CenCal Health for Medi-Cal and CenCal CareConnect, and other organizations working to create pathways to increase, sustain or maintain capacity and access to care for CenCal Health members.

General Guidelines

• Proposed projects or programs must serve Santa Barbara and/or San Luis Obispo counties.
• Preference may be given to projects that consider known or planned impacts to access due to changing Medi-Cal policy.
• Proposed projects or programs should be mobilized quickly for rapid impact, as funding is intended to be granted for a period not to exceed 12 months (CenCal Health may consider extensions on a case by case basis).
• Proposed projects or programs should demonstrate sustainability and scalability beyond the 12-month funding period.
• Applicants must agree to submit interim and final reporting, including the measures of performance and use of grant funds, if awarded.

Funding Areas

Grant funding will support efforts to sustain, maintain, and/or expand access to care, or address the impacts of evolving Medi-Cal policy, with a particular focus on behavioral health, primary care, pediatric, and specialty care services throughout CenCal Health's Service Area. Funding may be used to support projects in the following areas:

Recruitment of new providers and practice staff or those needed to sustain access to care.

Training and educational opportunities for healthcare careers and in support of building healthcare workforce pathways.

Practice support through investment in activities to strengthen, bolster, and maintain access to care, such as infrastructure, equipment, and capital expansion.