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Health & Safety Net

Analyzing policies for reducing poverty and increasing well-being

Featured Blog Post · July 23, 2024

How Has the Medi-Cal Program Changed over the Past Three Decades?

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For uninsured Californians, poverty rates are more than double rates for low-income families with Medi-Cal coverage.
As of May 2023, about half of Californians were covered by public health insurance.
Nearly 1/3 of Californians are living in or near poverty.
76% Most poor families in California are working.
Safety net programs kept more than 14% of children out of poverty in early 2023.
At 15.5%, LA County has the highest poverty rate in the state; Central Valley and Sierra region have the lowest at 10.7%.
Families at the top income levels in California earned 11 times more than families at the bottom.
About 1 in 10 California households lack the resources to meet their food needs.
55% Most California adults favor providing health care to undocumented immigrants.

Meet the Team

Sarah Bohn

Vice President and Director of the Economic Policy Center and Senior Fellow

Caroline Danielson

Vice President of Research and Senior Fellow