Publications / 2017 Edition — California Health Insurers

2017 Edition — California Health Insurers

Two years after reform

California Health Insurers: Two Years After Reform (PDF) provides a snapshot of the insurance market in California at the end of 2015. Dramatic expansion of coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014 and 2015 brought more enrollment and premium dollars to California’s insurers.

Over half of Californians have private health insurance — purchasing it individually or getting it through their employer. California’s health insurers provide coverage for these individuals as well as those enrolled in Medicare and Medi-Cal managed care plans.

Data from the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), the California Department of Insurance (CDI), and other sources were used to examine market share, enrollment, financial performance, public coverage, and consumer satisfaction.

Use our interactive graphic to learn more about enrollment and revenue for private insurance carriers in California.

Other key findings include:

 

California health insurance was a $162.5 billion business in 2015, up from $122.9 billion in 2013, a 32% increase. Six insurers accounted for more than two-thirds of the revenue, and most insurers operated in the black.

L.A. Care, the state’s largest county-based insurer, more than doubled its revenues during the two-year period, and vaulted into the ranks of the six largest insurers, exemplifying the growth in Medi-Cal insurers.

All Health Insurers, by Share of Revenue, California, 2013 and 2015
 

Enrollment in individual and in Medi-Cal and other public managed care plans surged in 2014 and 2015 with the rollout of major ACA provisions. During this two-year period, individual enrollment increased by 58% (858,000) to 2.3 million while enrollment in Medi-Cal and other public managed care plans increased by 52% (3.5 million) to 10.3 million.

Enrollment Growth/Reduction, DMHC and CDI Combined, California, 2013 to 2015
 

In 2015, enrollment in Medi-Cal and other public managed care surpassed large-group enrollment, formerly the biggest health insurance market.

Enrollment Trends, by Market, DMHC and CDI Combined, California, 2012 to 2015

 

Additional data and analysis is available from the California Department of Health Care Services, the California Department of Insurance Market Share Reports and company profile search, the Department of Managed Health Care’s Health Plan Financial Summary Reports and list of all licensed plans, the California Health Benefits Review Program, the California Office of the Patient Advocate, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ medical loss ratio data resources and Medicare enrollment data.

Resources about the medical loss ratio are also available.

The full report, a quick reference guide, all the charts found in the report, and a data file are available for download below. These materials are part of CHCF’s California Health Care Almanac, an online clearinghouse for key data and analyses describing the state’s health care landscape. See our entire collection of current and past editions of California Health Insurers and Enrollment.

What's Trending

Explore the most popular publications, blogs, resources, and more from CHCF.