Survey offers progress report on California's insurance enrollment efforts

The survey of uninsured people within the state, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that nearly six of 10 gained insurance during the first open enrollment period -- but reaching the remaining holdouts will become more difficult.

The New York Times: More Californians Sign Up For Health Plans, Survey Says, But Holdouts May Be Hard To Get
While a new survey of the uninsured in California shows that nearly six out of 10 people were able to obtain coverage in the last year, the findings offer fresh insight into just how difficult it may be to sign up the people who remain uninsured, even after the introduction of the new state marketplaces (Abelson, 7/30).

Kaiser Health News: California Makes Significant Progress In Enrolling Previously Uninsured, Survey Finds
A significant portion of previously uninsured Californians gained medical coverage through the nation's health care law – about six in 10 during the state's first open enrollment, according to a survey released Wednesday. All told, about 3.4 million people who didn't have health insurance before sign-ups began last fall are now covered, according to the survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Gorman, 7/30).

Los Angeles Times: Number Of Californians Without Health Insurance Drops Sharply
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey examining the state's progress under the federal medical care overhaul said more than 80% of those still uninsured hadn't had coverage in two or more years, including 37% who reported never having coverage before. Foundation Chief Executive and President Drew Altman said though large numbers of Californians gained insurance during the first open enrollment period, "expanding coverage gets harder from here" (Karlamangla, 7/29).

The Sacramento Bee: Survey: In California, More Than 3 Million Newly Insured In Health Coverage
About 3.4 million previously uninsured adults have obtained health insurance coverage in California in the past year, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It found that nearly 60 percent of residents who lacked coverage reported signing up for health insurance since last summer. ... While most of the formerly uninsured were able to acquire coverage through Medi-Cal (25 percent), 12 percent got it through an employer and 9 percent through the state exchange, called Covered California, the survey said (Cadelago, 7/29).

Politico Pro: Survey Looks At California Coverage Gains, Challenges
About 6 in 10 Californians who were uninsured last summer now have health coverage, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That amounts to 3.4 million newly insured Californians, most of whom talk positively about their plans. But signing up the remaining uninsured may be tough, the survey indicates. Many people have never had coverage or haven't had it in several years. Many are also undocumented immigrants whose legal status is a separate barrier (Villacorta, 7/30).

KHN looks into the experience of one Californian who gained coverage in 2014 -

Kaiser Health News: As Ballet Stretches Her Body's Limits, Insurance Brings Peace of Mind
The annual injury rates at ballet companies run between 67 and 95 percent, according to a study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine. But ballerinas and their male counterparts often dance through the pain. … Despite her tough-it-out training, she'd prefer to have insurance. So by the time the Affordable Care Act took effect, allowing her ballet company to buy a plan, Noelle was eager to sign up (de Marco, 7/20).