...
By Jasmine Laws
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Hundreds of thousands have been removed from a health care plan in California over the course of two years, according to data from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research and news organization.
About 900,000 Americans were disenrolled from Medicaid in the state as part of the unwinding process happening nationwide after Medicaid coverage was expanded following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The California Department of Health Care Services told Newsweek that it "conducted extensive outreach to members before the unwinding period to remind them to fill out their renewal paperwork so they could retain their coverage."
Read More on News
"Compared to other states, California saw smaller decreases in enrollment between March 2023 and March 2025," the department added.
The department said that on average, California renewed more than 1 million members each month, and that "discontinuance rates may fluctuate as members 'cure' their case"—by providing any missing information—and regain coverage.
Why It Matters
The unwinding process has resulted in significant drops in Medicaid enrollment across the U.S. There is now growing concern about the rising population of those without health insurance and the wider impacts this could have, such as worsening health outcomes, increasing strain on emergency services and rising medical costs.
The worry has been amplified by the recent passing of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, in which funding cuts, a focus on "waste, fraud and abuse" and work requirements are in store for Medicaid. Many have voiced concern that the measures will result in millions losing health coverage.
...
What To Know
In California, there were 14,285,643 covered by Medicaid in March 2023, but by March 2025, that number was 13,392,566, KFF data shows.
The California Department of Health Care Services told Newsweek that the Medi-Cal Enrollment and Renewals Dashboard showed the March 2025 enrollment figure to be much higher than KFF's estimates, at 14,724,647.
The drop in enrollment was because during the pandemic, some states expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), causing nationwide enrollment levels to increase.
Federal rules forced states to keep most Medicaid enrollees on the program, even if their eligibility status changed, until March 2023, when they were then allowed to start rolling recipients off the program.
This marks a change of about 900,000, a decline that was smaller than other highly populated states like Texas, Florida and New York.
In March 2025, the number of people with Medicaid coverage in California was still higher than pre-pandemic levels, by 16 percent.
The reason Medicaid coverage is unwinding at different rates in states is because "states approached the process of reviewing the eligibility of their Medicaid beneficiaries with fundamentally different strategies," Michael Sparer, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, told Newsweek.
He said that Florida and Texas began the review process "as fast as they could and immediately declared ineligible those beneficiaries who did not promptly respond to review notices."
"There is clear evidence that many beneficiaries who were still eligible lost coverage simply because they did not timely navigate the administrative hurdles to recertification," he added.
Meanwhile, he said that New York and California "were far more deliberate in how they approached the review process, thus the number who've lost their eligibility via this process is far fewer."
What People Are Saying
Michael Sparer, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, told Newsweek: "Medicaid enrollment surged during the pandemic for several reasons, including increased unemployment combined with a requirement that in exchange for additional federal funding, states could not recertify beneficiary eligibility until the "public health emergency" was declared over. Put simply, millions signed up during the pandemic and their eligibility could only be reviewed beginning in the spring 2023.
"There is reason to be quite concerned about how this has played out and also what it suggests may happen when Medicaid work requirements, which create their own set of administrative hurdles, are implemented. First, persons who are eligible for coverage should not lose coverage. Bad health outcomes will follow. Second, persons who are no longer Medicaid eligible should be guided to other options, such as subsidized ACA marketplace coverage. Finally, the variation in how states conduct Medicaid eligibility reviews leads to unfortunate inequities."
The California Department of Health Care Services told Newsweek: "DHCS continues to monitor enrollment trends closely and remains committed to supporting a smooth redetermination process in accordance with federal and state guidelines. Ensuring that eligible individuals retain access to necessary health care services remains a priority. Enrollment has been essentially flat over the last 12 months.
"During the unwinding period, DHCS implemented several outreach and assistance efforts to help individuals explore other available coverage options. This included partnerships with community organizations, targeted communications with clear messaging, and support through Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace. A statewide media campaign was also launched to raise awareness about how to keep coverage, what to do if coverage is lost, and where to get help. This included printed materials, radio and digital ads, and multilingual social media posts to reach diverse communities. DHCS also worked closely with Covered California to ensure individuals who lost Medi-Cal coverage had access to affordable health plans."
What Happens Next
As the unwinding continues, more reductions in enrollment are expected in California and across the country. With millions already having lost health coverage, concerns remain about access to care for low-income individuals and families.
Update 8/5/25, 4:23 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the California Department of Health Care Services.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines