The 2023 health insurance rate announcement by Covered California gives us a glimpse of how many people are enrolled and where they live in the state. As of March 2022, Covered California reports that 1.7 million Californians are enrolled in a health plan through the exchange. For comparison purposes, the Department of Health Care Services states there are approximately 14 million people in California in some form of a Medi-Cal health plan.
1.7 million individuals in Covered California, March 2022
Of course, 1.7 million people is a sizeable number of individuals and most of them are receiving a subsidy to reduce their monthly health insurance premiums. Covered California provided a breakdown of the enrollment by region. There are 19 different rating regions in California, some of which encompass more than one county. Covered California also provided the average health insurance premium rate change for 2023 for each region.
California total enrollment of 1,710,280 individuals. The statewide average rate increase for 2023 will be 6.0%
Region 1: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba
Total enrollment: 61,360. Average rate increase: 11.3%.
Region 2: Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma
Total enrollment: 59,780. Average rate increase: 5.2%.
Region 3: Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, and Yolo
Total enrollment: 99,660. Average rate increase: 4.7%.
Region 4: San Francisco
Total enrollment: 36,190. Average rate increase: 6.2%.
Region 5: Contra Costa
Total enrollment: 55,220. Average rate increase: 6.1%.
Region 6: Alameda
Total enrollment: 78,950. Average rate increase: 5.7%.
Region 7: Santa Clara
Total enrollment: 66,750. Average rate increase: 4.7%.
Region 8: San Mateo
Total enrollment: 28,850. Average rate increase: 6.0%.
Region 9 – Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz
Total enrollment: 29,760. Average rate change: 5.5%
Region 10 – San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa and Tulare
Total enrollment: 82,940. Average rate change: 5.6%.
Region 11 – Fresno, Kings and Madera
Total enrollment: 42,400. Average rate change: 0.0%.
Region 12 – San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura
Total enrollment: 78,190. Average rate change: 5.1%.
Region 13 – Mono, Inyo and Imperial
Total enrollment: 16,530. Average rate change: 11.7%.
Region 14 – Kern County
Total enrollment: 23,440. Average rate change: 2.7%.
Region 15 – Los Angeles County (northeast)
Total enrollment: 224,400. Average rate change: 5.9%.
Region 16 – Los Angeles County (southwest)
Total enrollment: 274,630. Average rate change: 6.8%
Region 17 – San Bernardino and Riverside
Total enrollment: 162,910. Average rate change: 6.7%.
Region 18 – Orange
Total enrollment: 159,640. Average rate change: 7.1%.
Region 19 – San Diego
Total Enrollment: 128,700. Average rate change: 5.3%.
Generous Subsidies Set To Expire Unless Congress Acts
Covered California included the statewide distribution of enrollments, in part, to illustrate how Californians throughout the state will be affected if congress fails to renewal the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Advance Premium Tax Credit subsidy enhancements. ARP, enacted in 2021, increased the health insurance subsidies distributed by Covered California. In addition to larger to subsidies offered to lower income households, it removed the income cap for higher income households.
With the ARP subsidy curve, households with over 400 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for subsidies to make the second lowest cost Silver plan no more than 8.5 percent of the household income. Covered California estimates that monthly health insurance premiums will increase by $272 per month if the ARP is not renewed.
Covered California also provided a weighted average rate increase by carrier for 2023
Anthem Blue Cross – 5.8%
Blue Shield of California – 9.2%
Bright Healthcare – 5.0%
Chinese Community Health Plan – 3.3%
Health Net – 2.9%
Kaiser Permanente – 4.0%
LA Care Health Plan – 2.1%
Molina Healthcare – 10.7%
Oscar Health Plan of California – 13.2%
Sharp Health Plan – 6.5%
Valley Health Plan – 6.5%
Western Health Advantage – 2.2%
Overall – 6.0%
