blog post Video: Health Coverage & Undocumented Immigrants By Linda Strean Nov 13, 2015 PPIC researchers presented findings that half of California’s undocumented immigrants—about 1.4 million—have incomes low enough to qualify for full Medi-Cal benefits should proposals to offer coverage be enacted.
blog post Closing California’s Health Insurance Gap By Shannon McConville, Mia Bird May 11, 2016 County jails may provide an opportunity to reach uninsured Californians, improving both public safety and public health.
Report Health Coverage and Care for Undocumented Immigrants: An Update By Paulette Cha, Shannon McConville Jun 23, 2021 COVID-19 has revealed how gaps in health care coverage among immigrants can put the health of entire communities at risk. This report updates findings on the ways undocumented Californians connect with the health care system to inform policy discussions around providing affordable health insurance for all.
Report Expanding Health Coverage in California: County Jails as Enrollment Sites By Shannon McConville, Mia Bird May 10, 2016 In 2014, the first year of Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation, the number of Californians with health insurance increased substantially. However, millions of state residents continue to lack comprehensive health coverage, and those who remain uninsured are likely more difficult to enroll through traditional strategies. In this report, we find that uninsured rates are highest for young men and for those with low levels of education, income, and employment. The prevalence of these same characteristics among correctional populations suggests that the justice system—and, in particular, county jails—may offer points of contact for many uninsured individuals who would otherwise be hard to reach. Outreach and enrollment efforts aimed at local jail populations are set within the policy context of California’s 2011 Public Safety Realignment, which created incentives and resources for local corrections agencies to improve reentry outcomes. With expansions in access to health insurance coverage under the ACA, nearly all counties are establishing programs to provide enrollment assistance to jail inmates as part of a more comprehensive reentry strategy. But resources and capacity are limited, so it is important to identify effective models to maximize the potential of county correctional systems as sites of insurance enrollment.
blog post Californians’ Views of Health Care Reform Shift—a Bit By Dean Bonner Oct 17, 2014 The Affordable Care Act has divided the state as well as the nation. Have those views shifted? Yes and no.
blog post Medi-Cal Expansion for Undocumented Seniors By Paulette Cha, Shannon McConville Feb 21, 2020 A proposed expansion of Medi-Cal would boost access to health services, including preventive care and disease management, for eligible undocumented seniors.
