Executive Summary

In March 2025, NORC at the University of Chicago fielded a 12-question poll among a representative sample of Californians in three congressional districts (22, 40, and 41) to assess attitudes about Medi-Cal, Covered California, and possible reductions to federal funding for both programs. Key findings from Congressional District-40 (CD-40) include the following:

• Widespread recognition of Medi-Cal’s importance.
  • An overwhelming 91% consider the program “important” to the state, including strong majorities across party lines (94% of Democrats, 88% of Independents, and 87% of Republicans).
  • Nearly half (46%) of residents consider the program “personally important” to them or their family. More than 4 in 10 (42%) report they have relied on Medi-Cal services at some point.
  • 54% of residents believe Medi-Cal is “working well.”
• Strong opposition to federal cuts to Med-Cal and widespread anxiety about program’s future.
  • More than two-thirds of residents oppose reducing federal Medi-Cal funding, including 89% of Democrats, 53% of Republicans, and 51% of Independents.
  • 69% of residents expressed concern that future enrollees might not receive the same benefits that are available today.
• Cross-partisan agreement that all Californians should have health insurance, even if it means increased federal spending.
  • 88% of Democrats, 62% of Republicans, and 60% of Independents support this position.
  • Less than a quarter (23%) of residents believe that the federal government spends too much on Medi-Cal.

Explore the full poll findings below. The survey methodology along with the results from CD-22 and CD-41 are available here.

Poll Findings

Question 1 Finding: More than 9 in 10 (91%) of residents in CD-40 say Medi-Cal is important, including 94% of Democrats, 88% of Independents, and 87% of Republicans.

Question 2 Finding: Almost half (47%) of CD-40 residents say that Medi-Cal is important to them and their family.

Question 3 Finding: More than 4 in 10 (42%) of CD-40 residents say that they or a family member have received Medi-Cal services at some point.

Question 4 Finding: A majority (54%) of CD-40 residents say that Medi-Cal is working well.

Question 5 Finding: More than two-thirds (67%) of CD-40 residents oppose reductions in federal funding for Medi-Cal, including 89% of Democrats, 53% of Republicans, and 51% of Independents.

Question 6 Finding: Less than a quarter of CD-40 residents (23%) believe that the federal government spends too much on Medi-Cal.

Question 7 Finding: Almost two-thirds (63%) of CD-40 residents think that Medi-Cal should stay as it is.

Question 8 Finding: More than 75% of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in CD-40 say that Covered California is important for providing health insurance to the uninsured.

Question 9 Finding: Less than half (45%) of CD-40 residents believe that Covered California is working well. Opinion is split along party lines: 56% of Democrats hold this view compared to 39% of Republicans and 38% of Independents.

Question 10 Finding: CD-40 residents are split on reducing federal financial support to those who get their insurance through Covered California, with 43% in favor of such cuts, 36% in opposition, and 22% neither in favor nor opposition.

Question 11 Finding: Across party lines, strong majorities of CD-40 residents believe that everyone in California should have health insurance, even if it means increasing federal spending on health care. Eighty-eight percent of Democrats, 62% of Republicans, and 60% of Independents hold this view.

Question 12a Finding: More than two-thirds (69%) of CD-40 residents are worried that future Medi-Cal enrollees will not be able to get the same benefits that are available today. A higher percentage of Democrats (87%) and Independents (76%) expressed this worry compared to Republicans (47%).

Question 12b Finding: Almost two-thirds (65%) of CD-40 residents are worried that future Covered California enrollees will not be able to get the same benefits that are available today. This anxiety is expressed by a majority of respondents in each political party, although a larger percentage of Democrats (79%) are worried than Independents (62%) or Republicans (52%).