Health Care

A Medi-Cal mystery: Why so many seniors are signing up

About 100,000 additional people over age 65 enrolled in the first seven months of 2024.
A San Francisco Giants fan sprays herself with a water bottle before a baseball game between the Giants and the Atlanta Braves in San Francisco, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. (AP Photo)

California fiscal analysts are trying to figure out why thousands of additional seniors signed up for the state Medicaid program this year and how long the enrollment surge will last.

The answer to the Medi-Cal question has big implications for the budget. California faces a long-term deficit driven by the growing cost of providing state services, including health care services for low-income people who rely on Medi-Cal.

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