Medi-Cal Matters (California Health Care Foundation)

​In California, one in three people is now covered by Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid. Drawing upon various credible research and data sources, Medi-Cal Matters compiles a set of key facts and figures illustrating the breadth and scope of Medi-Cal coverage and the benefits of that coverage to the program's nearly 14 million beneficiaries across the state. Sources include the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS); studies by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Bay Area Economic Institute, and New England Journal of Medicine; local Medi-Cal managed care plan data; and more. Key facts include:

• 62% of those covered by Medi-Cal are families with children.
• Medi-Cal covers more than one in five California seniors and one in two people with disabilities.
• Medi-Cal covers three in five nursing facility residents.
• Two in three adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries is in the labor force.
• Nearly 80% of Californians with Medi-Cal report having a usual source of care (vs. 52% of the uninsured).
• Californians with Medi-Cal are 38% more likely to receive routine checkups than the uninsured.

Medi-Cal Matters also includes region-specific sections that draw upon local data to illustrate Medi-Cal beneficiaries' access to care in that specific region. Regions include Northern California, the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, Los Angeles, and Southern California.   

Publication Authors:

• California Health Care Foundation