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 (CD-41) include the following:

• Strong bipartisan support for Medi-Cal.
  • Nearly 70% of CD-41 residents consider Medi-Cal “personally important” to them and their families, including 82% of Independents, 66% of Democrats, and 60% of Republicans.
  • Additionally, 62% of residents report that they or a family member have received Medi-Cal services, with majorities across all political affiliations expressing that the program is “working well” (75% of Independents, 65% of Democrats, and 62% of Republicans).
• Significant opposition to potential changes to Medi-Cal.
  • Nearly three in four (72%) CD-41 residents oppose federal cuts to the program.
  • Seventy-two percent (72%) of residents worry that future enrollees will not receive the same benefits that are available today.
  • Only 11% of CD-41 residents believe the federal government spends too much on Medi-Cal, while substantial majorities across party lines support maintaining the program as it is and believe all Californians should have health insurance, even if it requires increased federal spending.

Explore the full poll findings below. The survey methodology along with the results from CDs 22 and 40 are available here.

 

Poll Findings

Question 1 Finding: Ninety-five percent (95%) of residents in CD-41 say Medi-Cal is important, including 99% of Democrats, 94% of Independents, and 90% of Republicans.

Question 2 Finding: A strong majority of CD-41 residents, including 66% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 60% of Republicans, say Medi-Cal is important to them and their family.

Question 3 Finding: More than 6 in 10 (62%) CD-41 residents, including 53% of Democrats, 58% of Republicans, and 75% of Independents, say that they or a family member have received Medi-Cal services at some point.

Question 4 Finding: More than two-thirds (67%) of CD-41 residents say that Medi-Cal is working well. This view is shared by 65% of Democrats, 62% of Republicans, and 75% of Independents.

Question 5 Finding: Nearly three in four (72%) CD-41 residents oppose federal cuts to Medi-Cal.

Question 6 Finding: Only 11% of CD-41 residents — and only 28% of Republicans, 4% of Independents, and 2% of Democrats — say that the federal government spends too much on Medi-Cal.

Question 7 Finding: Across party lines, strong majorities of CD-41 residents say Medi-Cal should stay as it is, including 85% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 63% of Republicans.

Question 8 Finding: More than 75% of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans in CD-41 say that Covered California is important.

Question 9 Finding: A majority of (57%) CD-41 residents believe that Covered California is working well. Opinion is split along party lines: 65% of Democrats and 66% of Independents hold this view compared to 38% of Republicans.

Question 10 Finding: CD-41 residents are split on reducing federal financial support to those who get their insurance through Covered California, with 35% in favor of such cuts, 31% in opposition, and 32% neither in favor nor opposition.

Question 11 Finding: Across party lines, majorities of CD-41 residents believe that everyone in California should have health insurance, even if it means increasing federal spending on health care. Ninety seven percent of Democrats, 81% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans hold this view.

Question 12a Finding: Nearly three in four (72%) CD-41 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 (91%) and Independents (73%) expressed this worry than Republicans (50%).

Question 12b Finding: Sixty-four percent (64%) of CD-41 are worried that future Covered California enrollees will not be able to get the same benefits that are available today. This includes 84% of Democrats and 72% of Independents but only 36% of Republicans.