Statistical Briefs
Statistical Briefs allow us to synthesize complex issues and to efficiently address several health care policy issues. Certain briefs published before July 2019 are not currently available due to the requirements of Assembly Bill (AB) 434. Briefs publish beginning July 2019 are formatted to meet the requirements of AB 434.
Medi-Cal's Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Population
California’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a federal and state partnership designed to provide low-income children with health insurance coverage. The program improves access to health care services and quality of life for nearly 1.3 million California children less than 19 years of age.
This Statistical Brief describes how California initially implemented CHIP and how it was later folded into Medi-Cal; the count of Medi-Cal’s certified eligible CHIP beneficiaries for the most recent reportable period; a demographic profile of the CHIP population; the trend in CHIP enrollment over the past 24 months; and Medi-Cal certified eligible CHIP counts by California county, Assembly district, Senate district, and Congressional district.
Medi-Cal's Optional Adult ACA Expansion Population
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended Medicaid eligibility to previously ineligible, non-elderly adults with incomes at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. In October 2016, 3,729,175 Californians between the ages of 19 and 64 were enrolled in Medi-Cal as a result of the ACA. In total, 9.5% of the statewide population – or one in 11 Californians – were newly enrolled in Medi-Cal pursuant to the ACA.
This statistical brief describes the Medi-Cal eligibility pathway for the newly eligible optional adult ACA expansion population, and applicable federal funding percentages; the historic growth of Medi-Cal’s ACA expansion population; the population’s demographic composition; and the percent of each county and congressional district’s population that is certified eligible for Medi-Cal’s ACA expansion.
Proportion of California Certified Eligible for Med-Cal by County and Age Group
Recent estimates show that, following eligibility expansions, the Medi-Cal program now provides health coverage for approximately one-third of the California population. The program’s population growth has been the subject of much discussion recently, but less understood is the significant degree of variability between counties concerning the proportion of their population that is enrolled in Medi-Cal. While the statewide average is one-third, some counties have more than half of their residents enrolled. The proportion of residents enrolled in Medi-Cal also varies by age group; for instance, nearly 60% of children ages 0-5 are enrolled statewide, but some counties see young child enrollment exceeding 80%.
This statistical brief presents data on the proportion of residents enrolled in Medi-Cal by county and age group, and also presents the proportion of each county's children ages 0-5 enrolled in the program, by county.
Medi-Cal's Historical Period of Growth: a 24-Month Examination of How the Program has Changed Since 2012
In the 24-months covering 2013 and 2014, Medi-Cal experienced the largest enrollment growth in the program’s history. Between December 2012 and December 2014, the program grew from 7.6 million individuals to more than 12 million – an increase of 4.5 million, or nearly 60%. This growth, brought about largely by newly eligible adults and the transition of children from the former Healthy Families Program, also altered the demographic composition of Medi-Cal’s overall population.
Data Symposium on High Utilizers of Medi-Cal Services
California’s government collects vast amounts of clinical and cost data about the care it provides to the 12 million people enrolled in Medi-Cal, the nation’s largest Medicaid program. Aggregating and analyzing this data, which are spread across multiple departments, is a key to understanding the Medi-Cal population, identifying opportunities to improve health care and outcomes, and managing public spending.
Understanding Medi-Cal High Utilizers and High-Cost Populations
In June 2015, the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) hosted a one-day symposium to discuss new research by state officials and university partners on the characteristics, health care usage, and costs associated with Medi-Cal’s high-cost populations, as well as research emerging from Washington State. There are two presentations from the data symposium to understand Medi-Cal High Utilizers and to understand Medi-Cal High-Cost Populations.
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