California Uninsured

In A Changing Environment

Public Opinion Roundup

Jessica Bravo

Jessica Bravo

Student
Costa Mesa, Calif.
20s

A young outreach worker for Obamacare is delighted to be eligible for coverage but worries about family members with no such luck.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Applied For Medi-Cal
2015
Medi-Cal
Devin Payne

Devin Payne

Photographer
Palm Springs, Calif.
40s

After being uninsured, Payne signed up for a Covered California plan under the health law. She underwent gender reassignment surgery paid for, in part, through her new insurance, then began her new life as a woman.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Individual Policy
2015
Individual Policy
Allynne Noelle

Allynne Noelle

Ballerina
Santa Monica, Calif.
30s

Ballerinas risk injury and high health care costs every time they perform. Allynne Noelle, principal ballerina with the Los Angeles Ballet, says the new health care law offers some relief.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Employer Coverage
Sandra Lopez

Sandra Lopez

Restaurant Owner
Newport Beach, Calif.
40s

Sandra Lopez owns a popular Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif. She has to make decisions about health insurance coverage for her family and her business under the Affordable Care Act.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Individual Policy
2015
Individual Policy
Teresa Martinez

Teresa Martinez

Hairdresser
East L.A., Calif.
60s

Martinez was eligible for Medi-Cal but, like many others, waited a long time for her card. And even when she got coverage, she didn’t get around to using it right away.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Medi-Cal
2015
Medi-Cal
2016
Medi-Cal
Carlos Velazquez

Carlos Velazquez

Self-Employed
Compton, Calif.
30s

This young man crossed the border illegally with his parents when he was a child and is likely eligible for Medi-Cal. But he says no one ever told him that.
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2013
Uninsured
Marcy Valenzuela

Marcy Valenzuela

Former Foster Child
El Monte, Calif.
20s

Like many former foster kids, Valenzuela was entitled to Medicaid coverage until she turned 26. And she was sure she was eligible for Medi-Cal after that. But accessing these benefits was not easy.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Medi-Cal
2015
Medi-Cal
Brad Stevens

Brad Stevens

Massage Therapist
Lakeport, Calif.
50s

Brad Stevens learned the hard way that being uninsured was risky, as accidents and illness took a toll. Though he faced some delays and hassles, he was relieved to be accepted for Medi-Cal coverage in 2014.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Medi-Cal
Pardit Pri

Pardit Pri

Administrative Asst.
Orange County, Calif.
30s

Pardit Pri is among the 5 million uninsured people in California. Insurance would give her peace of mind, but she worries whether she can afford it.
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2013
Uninsured
Cecily Liu

Cecily Liu

Accountant
Richmond, Calif.
30s

A California woman had a bad experience with the state’s insurance exchange the first time around and struggled with whether to re-enroll her family.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Individual Policy
2015
Individual Policy
2016
Individual Policy
Kairis Chiaji

Kairis Chiaji

Doula
Sacramento, Calif.
40s

Kairis Chiaji was excited when she heard about the ACA, but experienced a mix-up with her application through Covered California that delayed her enrollment.
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2013
Uninsured
2014
Individual Policy
2015
Individual Policy
Steve Mercill

Steve Mercill

Caregiver
Hayfork, Calif.
60s

In the remote reaches of California, a doctor’s son says coverage has nearly always eluded him, and his initial efforts to enroll in the state’s new insurance exchange were unsuccessful.
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2014
Uninsured
2015
Uninsured
Leslie Ziegler

Leslie Ziegler

Entrepreneur
San Francisco, Calif.
30s

Once deemed “uninsurable,” a businesswoman suffering from a chronic condition now has coverage — and it’s not tied to a job or a boyfriend.
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2014
Individual Policy
2015
Individual Policy
2016
Individual Policy