By Kenny Goldberg
Officials say more than 1 million people have picked a health plan on the federal website, and some 400,000 Californians have enrolled through the state’s Covered California exchange.
Even though many California residents are eligible for subsidized health insurance, the California HealthCare Foundation predicts over the next two years, millions of Californians will remain uninsured.
In a new report, the foundation estimates nearly 1.5 million people who are eligible for coverage just won’t enroll.
An additional 959,000 undocumented immigrants won’t be allowed to enroll.
The report also predicts more than 700,000 people won’t sign up for the expanded Medi-Cal program due to lack of awareness.
Some efforts to address these issues are already underway. For example, Covered California is reviewing its marketing strategy, to see if it can do a better job of raising awareness. And state health officials are spreading the word that for the first time, single adults without children can apply for Medi-Cal.