ITUP: Children’s Health Coverage Under the ACA

Approximately 95% of children residing in California have health insurance coverage, most through their parents’ employers or through Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is implemented in 2014, some children and families will see changes to their plans and new opportunities to get covered. Meanwhile, the State is at a crossroads, and must determine if and how to alter existing programs and systems to better serve children. Several questions arise in the wake of ACA implementation: what will be the role of the numerous children’s health programs post ACA, what can be done to ensure adequate coverage of vulnerable populations, including the remaining uninsured, and how can insurance programs be better coordinated for optimum efficiency and accessibility?