Millions of Californians Could Lose Medicaid/Medi-Cal Health Coverage Due

In California, an estimated 15 million people — one-third of the state’s population — are enrolled in Medi-Cal and up to three million people could lose coverage if they fail to renew coverage or no longer qualify. (freepik.com).

Roughly 91 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of October 2022. Experts estimate that 18 million people are at risk of losing coverage as a result of the year-long unwinding process despite seven million still being eligible.

During an Ethnic Media Services media briefing on the unwinding process, Farah Erzouki, senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), explained that the Medicaid staffing crisis and paperwork issues will contribute to people losing coverage.

Additionally, people who fail to submit paperwork on time or contact their Medicaid agencies will also be at risk of losing coverage.

“We know that procedural barriers or the red tape that people experience in trying to access Medicaid have deep roots in systemic racism,” Erzouki said. “People of color are disproportionately impacted by these procedural barriers and this makes it more difficult for continued on page