California – California has seen nearly 900,000 residents removed from its Medicaid rolls over the past two years as part of a national process known as the “Medicaid unwinding,” following the end of pandemic-era protections. While the state has fared better than others in limiting disenrollment, the drop underscores growing concern about access to health care for low-income families, especially amid recent federal policy changes.
According to data from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the number of Californians enrolled in Medicaid—known locally as Medi-Cal—fell from 14.29 million in March 2023 to 13.39 million in March 2025. This change came after the expiration of a federal rule that had required states to maintain continuous coverage for enrollees during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
During the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment surged as millions lost jobs or income, and states were barred from removing most beneficiaries, even if their eligibility changed. But once the public health emergency ended, states resumed eligibility checks. How they approached the process, however, has varied widely…