For people under age 65, among those with income of less than 138% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (about $24,000 annually for a family of four), 23% are uninsured at any given time.

Among the highest earning families (more than 400% of FPG, or about $94,000 annually), only 6% are uninsured at any point in time.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), California expanded its Medi-Cal program for people up to 138% of FPG, adopted market reforms, and established a state marketplace, Covered California. These changes should make it easier for lower-income people to find and afford coverage in 2014 and beyond. The expectation of lawmakers and policy experts is that increased enrollment in coverage will translate into expanded access to care.

Come the end of 2014, changes in these two measures — people uninsured at any time and people with a usual source of care — will reveal a lot about how Californians are doing as a result of the ACA.

Marian Mulkey

Marian Mulkey was chief learning officer at the foundation. From 2010 until 2014, she served as director of the foundation’s Health Reform and Public Programs Initiative, where she led CHCF’s work to analyze the Affordable Care Act and inform public and private stakeholders and the public on ways to implement the law that would improve and expand coverage. Read More

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