California embraced the Affordable Care Act and in many ways became a national model for how it could work — driving uninsured rates down from about 17 percent to 7 percent since the law rolled out.
The state added 3.7 million people to the rolls under its Medicaid expansion, and 1.5 million joined its state-run marketplace, Covered California. Compared to other states, the exchange’s premium increases have remained low, though they have risen substantially this year.
With so much on the line, supporters of the law expressed relief when the GOP’s American Health Care Act was pulled from the House of Representatives last week for lack of Republican support.
The question now is: Where does the state go from here and what will all this mean for consumers? On the radio, correspondents Pauline Bartolone, Anna Gorman and Chad Terhune discuss issues ranging from the prospect of Republicans and Democrats in Washington working together on health reform to a solo effort by California to launch a single-payer system. The three appeared on KQED’s “California Report”, KCRW’s “The Mixer” and KPCC’s “Air Talk.”
The California Report with Pauline Bartolone (March 27):
The Mixer with Anna Gorman (March 24):
Air Talk with Chad Terhune (March 27):
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