During health care reform's 2014 implementation, up totwo-thirds of California's 7 million uninsuredpopulation will become eligible for health insurance coverage,according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for HealthPolicy Research.

The policy brief, Two-thirds of California's 7 Million Uninsured May Obtain CoverageUnder Health Care Reform, estimates 4.7 million Californianswill likely be eligible for either the health insurance exchange orMedi-Cal expansion, which is based on county-by-county estimates ofthe number of Californians with job-based, public or privateinsurance in 2009 along with those who were uninsured for all orpart of that year.

"This expansion will have a huge impact on the number of peoplewithout insurance," says Shana Alex Lavarreda, the lead author ofthe brief. "It will provide relief in the short term to millions ofCalifornians who currently have no insurance options. And it willprovide long-term relief to all residents by shifting the taxpayeremphasis from high-cost emergency room services to lower-costpreventative care."

Poor gains most benefits

According to the CHIS 2009 data, center researchers believe 3million uninsured Californians will gain coverage through healthreform's Medi-Cal expansion while 1.7 million will be eligible forsubsidies provided by the state's health insurance exchange. Anadditional 1.2 million will also become eligible to buynonsubsidized coverage via the exchange.

The rest of the 1 million noncitizen Californians without healthinsurance are not eligible for health care reform benefits, mostlybecause of citizenship or residency status.

Health care reform also expands the definition of those who areeligible for Medi-Cal to include adults without dependent childrenearning up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which was$10,956 for one person in 2009. Under this new population,approximately 3 million of the lowest-income nonelderly adults andchildren will be eligible for Medi-Cal coverage.

"Health care reform lifts a tremendous burden off the shouldersof all Californians," says E. Richard Brown, the center's director."And it will be an enormous relief to anyone who's struggling topay both the rent and a medical bill."

California's uninsured population is the largest in the nation,which has worsened because of the down economy and risingunemployment. Still, the 7 million figure might have been higherhad the 2009 federal subsidy via COBRA not been offered, theauthors wrote. That subsidy is now expired.

"The sheer number of Californians without health insuranceunderscores the importance of implementing the health care lawsuccessfully," says Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of TheCalifornia Endowment. "As the first state to enact a health benefitexchange under the new law, California is providing a model to thecountry of effective implementation and laying the foundation for ahealthier state."