Health Care Crisis: 900,000 Californians Suddenly Dropped

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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 unrolled from Medicaid in the state as part of the unwinding process happening nationwide after Medicaid coverage was expanded following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

This was because during the pandemic, some states expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), causing nationwide enrollment levels to increase.