California lawmakers are considering expanding Medi-Cal to low-income young adults (19–25) and low-income seniors (65+) regardless of immigration status. A new analysis of data from the most recent California Health Interview Survey by Nadereh Pourat, PhD, at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research illuminates six facts about California’s undocumented population:

• Age Children and seniors make up a smaller portion of undocumented California residents compared to other California residents.
• Race/ethnicity A higher proportion of undocumented Californians are Latino and a much smaller proportion are white compared to other California residents.
• Income About two-thirds of undocumented adult Californians are low-income compared to fewer than a quarter of other Californian adults.
• Work status Among low-income undocumented adults under 65, a higher proportion are employed compared to other low-income California residents.
• Insurance status Undocumented low-income Californians are much more likely to be uninsured compared to other low-income Californians.
• Usual source of care Almost twice as many undocumented low-income adult Californians report having no usual source of care compared to other low-income Californians.

Download the complete graphics below under Related Materials. Stay tuned for more on what the California Health Interview Survey reveals about undocumented Californians’ health status and care experiences.