California Uninsured Rate Hit Record Low Before 2026 Medicaid Cuts
New California Health Interview Survey data show 94.6% of Californians under 65 had health insurance in 2025, up from 93.8% in 2024 and matching the state's 2023 record, according to the California Health Care Foundation. Most of the gain came from people buying private coverage, including through Covered California, while employer coverage held steady and Medi-Cal enrollment stayed flat overall. The survey reflects conditions before federal Medicaid cuts under H.R. 1, the loss of enhanced premium subsidies, and the state's freeze on new full-scope Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults, none of which had taken effect in 2025. CHCF reports that Medi-Cal enrollment has since fallen by roughly 800,000 in the first half of 2026, with the sharpest declines, 19%, among undocumented immigrants in full-scope Medi-Cal.