Medi-Cal Basics

Did you know that Medi-Cal covers more than half of all California kids, 2.2 million seniors and people with disabilities, and about one in five of all California working adults? In total, nearly 15 million Californians rely on the program – that’s more than one in three of all Californians.

Below are more resources to help you understand Medi-Cal: 

Enrollment

How Many People in Your District Get Medi-Cal or Premium Subsidies Through Covered California?
Congressional District 22 in the Central Valley has the highest percentage of residents enrolled in Medi-Cal at 67%. (The UC Labor Center provides Medi-Cal enrollment and Medi-Cal spending by congressional district (CD), state senate and state assembly district. This map shows Medi-Cal enrollment for ages 0-19 by CD.  This Health Access report shows the number of Californians with Medi-Cal, a Covered California plan, or Medicare by CD. This update from DHCS breaks down enrollment by key populations (seniors and people with disabilities, children and parents, etc.) 

Medi-Cal and Seniors

Policy-at-a-Glance: Medi-Cal & Seniors
Did you know that Medi-Cal is the primary payer for more than 6 in 10 Californians in nursing homes? Medicare covers only the first 100 days in nursing facilities. Learn more about the essential role Medi-Cal plays in providing health care specifically to Californian seniors. (Scroll down for national resources about Medicaid and seniors.)

Medi-Cal and Children

Medi-Cal: The Foundation of California Kids’ Health & a Bedrock of Our State Economy (from Children Now)
Look up the percentage of children in your county that are enrolled in Medi-Cal. Also, see how research has shown that Medi-Cal coverage is connected to success later in life.

Medi-Cal and the Federal Government

Policy-at-a-Glance: Medi-Cal and the Role of the Federal Government
Brush up on key Medi-Cal facts and learn about the most important ways that the federal government influences the program. For example, federal funding pays for more than half of the Medi-Cal budget. (Want to dive deeper? Explore Medi-Cal Facts and Figures,  The Medi-Cal Program – An Overview, or  Medi-Cal Explained: Medi-Cal Financing and Spending.) 

CalAIM

CalAIM: A Five-Year Plan to Transform Medi-Cal 
California is in the middle of a 5-year unprecedented Medi-Cal initiative to improve health outcomes for enrollees with the most complex needs, such as those with behavioral health needs (including addiction) and those experiencing homelessness.  (California had to get federal approval for CalAIM through state plan amendments (SPAs) and waivers. Learn more with this Medi-Cal Explained fact sheet on SPAs and waivers, updated March 2025.)

Do Medi-Cal Enrollees Work?

Policy-at-a-Glance: Do Medi-Cal Enrollees Work? 
Sixty two percent of nondisabled adults in Medi-Cal work either full- or part-time. Almost 1 in 5 of all California workers is enrolled in the program. Learn more about what the latest data says. (In 2020, CHCF talked to working Californians who rely on Medi-Cal. Listen to their stories.)

National (Medicaid) Resources

Protect Medicaid Funding Series (from the National Health Law Program)
NHLP has released a series of Medicaid fact sheets that dives deeper into the program’s impact on health care affordability, children’s health, treatment for substance use disorders and opioid addiction, care during pregnancy, and more.

The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Medicaid website 

• 5 Key Facts About Nursing Facilities and Medicaid