What’s at Stake for Health Care in Your District This Midterm Election?

On November 6, 2018, Californians will head to the polls to vote for who will represent them in Congress. The outcome of races could have significant implications for health care in California and nationwide. Major policies at stake include the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Medicaid program (called Medi-Cal in California), and protections for those with preexisting conditions.

What’s at Stake for California?

• 1.4 million Californians purchase coverage through Covered California, the health insurance marketplace established under the ACA. Close to 90% receive federal subsidies to help them afford their premiums.
• 13.5 million Californians are covered by Medi-Cal.
• 6.7 million Californians would have lost coverage by 2027 if the last attempt by Congress to repeal the ACA and cut Medicaid (through a proposal called Graham-Cassidy) had passed. It is widely anticipated that a future attempt to repeal the ACA would be modeled after Graham-Cassidy.
• 550,000 fewer jobs would have been created in California by 2027 if Graham-Cassidy had passed.
• 16.7 million nonelderly Californians are estimated to live with a preexisting condition.

What’s at Stake in Your District?

The table below breaks down these figures by Congressional district. A printable version of this table is available for download below.

The survey data used in this table rely on self-reported insurance status. When asked by survey researchers about health coverage, some undocumented immigrants who have used restricted-scope Medi-Cal may respond that they have Medi-Cal coverage. Restricted-scope Medi-Cal, which covers only emergency and pregnancy-related services, is not comprehensive coverage. Therefore, if these undocumented adults reporting Medi-Cal were considered uninsured, the number of Californians without insurance would be higher.