What this means for Black residents of California
That figure tracks roughly the US national average of 8.0 %, though the underlying trend and drivers are state-specific.
The Black uninsured rate in California reflects the interaction of employer-based coverage (lower among Black workers who are over-represented in sectors with thin benefit packages), Medicaid eligibility, and ACA marketplace uptake. In Medicaid-expansion states, the primary driver of uninsurance is eligibility churn and enrollment complexity; in non-expansion states it is the coverage gap — adults earning too much for Medicaid but too little for marketplace subsidies. KFF estimates the coverage gap holds roughly 2.1 million US adults, disproportionately Black and Hispanic.
The figures on this page are drawn from US Census ACS 1-year, Table B27010, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.
Policy actions
California has adopted Medicaid expansion under the ACA, which cut the Black uninsured rate roughly in half since 2013. The ongoing policy challenge is enrollment churn — people losing coverage when eligibility is re-determined annually — which disproportionately affects Black enrollees due to addressing / employment instability.
Where to get help in California
- Enroll in Medicaid or CHIP (California): Start at Medicaid.gov
- ACA marketplace coverage: Healthcare.gov (open enrollment + special enrollment periods)
- FQHCs serve uninsured patients on a sliding-fee scale in California: browse FQHCs
References & primary sources
- Primary dataset: US Census ACS 1-year, Table B27010
- US Census Bureau. Health Insurance Coverage in the United States. Annual P60 report.
- KFF. Key Facts on Health Coverage by Race and Ethnicity. Annual brief.
Data refreshed:
Where to go next
A number changes nothing on its own. These are the California pages that act on it.
Programs you can use in California
WIC covers pregnant women, infants, and children under 5. SNAP covers groceries. TANF covers low-income families with kids. Anyone on California Medicaid is already income-eligible for WIC.
States ranked next to California on uninsured rate
- Maryland 7.40 % of Black residents · ranked 24 of 51
- Wisconsin 7.40 % of Black residents · ranked 25 of 51
- New Jersey 7.30 % of Black residents · ranked 26 of 51
- Ohio 7.20 % of Black residents · ranked 28 of 51