MedicaidAdministrativeMedium impact
25-1174 Urgent: New Law Expands Patient Privacy Protections - Compliance Required by November 4, 2025
Health Net·CA·Prior Authorization
Effective date
Nov 4, 2025
We identified it
Jun 20, 2026
Summary
California SB 81 expands patient privacy protections to include immigration status and place of birth as protected medical information, prohibiting healthcare providers from allowing immigration enforcement access without valid judicial warrants. Healthcare entities must update policies, train staff, and treat immigration-related data with the same confidentiality as other protected health information.
Action Required
By November 4, 2025: All staff must be trained on new visitor and enforcement protocols that prohibit immigration enforcement access to nonpublic areas without valid judicial warrants. Billing and administrative teams must update internal policies and procedures to treat immigration status and place of birth as protected medical information under CMIA. Update visitor monitoring and documentation procedures to ensure compliance with expanded privacy protections.