The Affordable Care Act opened new pathways to public health insurance; many states have since broadened eligibility for Medicaid and have introduced new access points for Medicaid enrollment.
A number of states and the federal government realized that there is much to learn about who applies for and attains these types of insurance and began efforts to study the issue.
In California, Mathematica Policy Research announced such an effort funded by the California Health Care Foundation. The latest such issue focused on a number of key findings.
Key findings from California's fourth Eligibility and Enrollment Report on the application and enrollment processes for publicly subsidized health insurance:
- Even though Medi-Cal enrollment remains open year-round, the Open Enrollment period drives enrollment for both Medi-Cal and qualified health plans alike.
- Insurance coverage over time has proved more stable than expected. During the second enrollment period, for example, 92% of individuals enrolled in qualified health plans renewed their coverage from the previous year.
The report paints a very positive picture of the enrollment of millions, and provides several lessons on reporting efforts that other states might consider implementing for their own reporting projects.