California Rollbacks Could Strip 2.2 Million of Coverage, Pushing Uninsured Rate Near 15%
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 21
California Rollbacks Could Strip 2.2 Million of Coverage, Pushing Uninsured Rate Near 15%
2 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Aug 21
Summary
California could lose 2.2 million insured residents over four years, with researchers projecting the uninsured rate will nearly double from 5% to almost 15% by 2030.
Budget shortfalls in Sacramento and new federal restrictions are driving the reversal, including enrollment freezes, new premiums, dental benefit losses and work requirements that state officials say could cost Medi-Cal more than $30 billion a year from 2027.
Undocumented immigrants and low-income Californians face the heaviest losses: about 800,000 people are expected to lose coverage from state cutbacks alone, while federal rule changes could push another 1.3 million off insurance.
Southern California, especially Los Angeles, is expected to be hit hardest, and researchers say uninsured rates will rise fastest among Latino residents while more than doubling among Black and Asian Californians.
The rollback marks a sharp turn for a state that had reached 95% coverage after ACA and Medi-Cal expansions, leaving the next governor to confront widening deficits and the future of Newsom's universal-care push.