SACRAMENTO, CA — Close to 3 million Californians did not have health coverage in 2018, according to a new report from the California Budget & Policy Center based on recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
2018 also was the first year since the federal Affordable Care Act was enacted that the share of Californians without health coverage did not drop.
The Budget Center’s report – California’s Uninsured Rate Stalled Out, but 2020 Promises Renewed Progress – by Director of Research Scott Graves and Research Associate Monica Davalos finds the recent trend in large part reflects two factors: 1) federal efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act and 2) state policymakers’ focus on protecting California’s health coverage gains rather than boosting state health investments.
The report also outlines state-level health policy successes in 2019, and how California can make further progress in 2020 and in the coming years to help more people access and afford health coverage.
- Read the Budget Center’s report
- Download chart: California’s Uninsured Rate Stalled Out in 2018
- Download table: Projected Impact of New State Premium Assistance Subsidies in Coverage Year 2020
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The California Budget & Policy Center engages in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education with the goal of improving public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of Californians with low and middle incomes. Support for the Budget Center comes from foundation grants, subscriptions, and individual contributions.