In late 2023, CHCF and NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a representative, statewide survey of Californians’ health care opinions and experiences, which included an oversample with 1,525 Central Valley respondents age 18 and older.

Conducted in fall 2023, this survey collected Californian adults’ opinions and experiences on various health care topics, including mental health, medical debt, racial equity, and more.

More than one in three Californians report having medical debt, and of those, one in five (19%) report owing $5,000 or more.

One in four Californians had trouble paying a medical bill in the last 12 months, and one in five say they or someone close to them experienced a period of homelessness in the past five years. This statewide survey also captures Californians' health care priorities for the governor and legislature to address.

COVID-19 and health care costs are key priorities that Californians want lawmakers to address, according to this statewide poll.