This Almanac report on Medicare in California covers demographics, health status, insurance coverage, quality of care, utilization, and spending. Part of CHCF's California Health Care Almanac, it is designed to provide a factual framework to help consumer advocates, health care providers, and policymakers better understand California's Medicare population and inform their efforts to design programs and policies that meet beneficiaries' needs.

Among the report's key findings:

• California has the largest number of Medicare beneficiaries of any state — 4.5 million enrollees — and as the population ages, the percentage of Californians covered by Medicare will continue to rise.
• Medicare reimbursement for care delivered to California beneficiaries is higher than the national average — as of 2006, about $600 more per beneficiary.
• In 2004 and 2005, total annual medical payments per Medicare beneficiary in California averaged $11,326, of which $1,330 (11%) came out of the beneficiaries' own pockets.
• A large percentage of Medicare beneficiaries suffer from multiple chronic illnesses. In 2005, 79% reported having two or more chronic conditions, and 37% reported four or more.

Data in this presentation are drawn from the most recent national and state sources available. The full report is available under Document Downloads.