ORANGE, Calif. (November 10, 2025) — With the current issues facing CalFresh benefits, food security for 310,000 Orange County residents is in jeopardy. CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors has moved quickly to respond to the crisis and approved $8 million in emergency support to boost available resources at local food distributors and deliver aid directly to Medi-Cal members.
This funding comes a week after the County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced that CalFresh benefits would be delayed in November due to the shutdown. CalFresh, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps low-income residents buy healthy food. The status of SNAP’s November payment continues to shift, and a federal court ruled on November 6 that funds should be released within a day.
Still, given the uncertainty, CalOptima Health took action to release funds that will help members as soon as possible. Among Orange County’s CalFresh recipients 94,000 are seniors and 91,000 are children. The vast majority of those receiving CalFresh benefits are also on Medi-Cal, and approximately 225,000 of them are CalOptima Health members.
To prevent members from experiencing further food insecurity and malnutrition, the Board is granting up to $1.5 million each to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and Community Action Partnership Orange County (CAP OC). Together, these organizations distribute 65 million pounds of food annually through a network of community partner locations, including food banks, senior centers, soup kitchens, shelters for the unhoused and transitional housing facilities across the county.
“We are so very grateful to CalOptima Health for their support of the emergency food system supported by Orange County’s two food banks,” said Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “The food banks support close to 500 pantries in the communities where people live and work. This funding will ensure that these sites have additional, nutritious food on hand during this benefits stoppage.”
Added Gregory C. Scott, President and CEO of Community Action Partnership of Orange County: “This support from CalOptima Health will make a real difference for Orange County families and older adults who are feeling the impact of delayed CalFresh benefits during the federal shutdown. When these essential programs are disrupted, it takes strong community partnerships to fill the gap. This investment directly supports our mission to end poverty by providing immediate food relief, and together we’re ensuring that no one in our county goes hungry.”
Further, the Board approved $5 million to distribute $25 grocery flex cards to CalOptima Health members who are also enrolled in CalFresh. The health plan will collaborate with the SSA to identify which members are enrolled in CalFresh and then use various communication channels to inform them that they can expect this emergency food support.
“CalOptima Health is acting to prevent these extraordinary events on the national level from negatively impacting the physical health of individuals in our communities,” said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. “We firmly believe that food is health.”