Report Finds ACA Will Leave Many Californians Uninsured
Although the Affordable Care Act will reduce the number of uninsured residents in California, "a significant number will be left behind," according to a new California HealthCare Foundation report, the Modesto Bee reports.
CHCF publishes California Healthline.
The report, titled "California's Uninsured: By the Numbers," provides a snapshot of the state's uninsured residents and offers estimates about the effects of the Affordable Care Act.
Findings on Insured, Uninsured in California
According to the report, one in five Californians under age 65 is uninsured, the seventh-highest rate in the country.
It also found that 54% of residents received health coverage through their jobs last year, down from 63% in 1988.
In addition, the report found that:
- One in four adults who work are uninsured;
- About 40% of residents who work for small businesses with fewer than 10 employees are likely to be uninsured; and
- 62% of uninsured children have parents who worked full-time in 2012.
Findings on Effects of ACA
The report projects that 2.6 million Californians will be newly insured in 2015. Of those residents:
- 1.6 million will obtain private insurance; and
- 939,000 will receive coverage through the state's expanded Medi-Cal program.
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Meanwhile, the report estimates that about 3.1 million residents will remain uninsured even after major provisions of the ACA are implemented, including:
- 1.4 million residents who will be eligible for coverage through Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, but will not enroll;
- 959,000 undocumented immigrants who will not be eligible for coverage through the ACA; and
- More than 700,000 individuals who are eligible for Medi-Cal but are unlikely to enroll because of a lack of awareness or the program's history of enrollment issues and limited access to care (Carlson, Modesto Bee, 12/22).