Over the past several years, Californians have come together to provide health insurance to more than 1 million more residents, increase access to social services that improve health and well-being, and address inequitable patient treatment and outcomes in health care. We have continued to make efforts to reduce it. system. However, as states continue to strive to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, they are facing challenges such as rising health care costs, strained mental health systems, persistent shortages of health care providers, and increased wait times. There is no shortage of medical challenges we face. According to the 2024 CHCF California Health Policy Survey, many communities have high health care coverage.
This poll provides a comprehensive look at the health issues Californians are most concerned about and what they hope state policymakers will prioritize in the coming year. The poll was conducted last fall by CHCF and NORC at the University of Chicago.
CHCF publishes policy research annually for five years. In doing so, we identified not only changing trends in the health care landscape, but also emerging issues such as the impact of climate change on health and Californians' views on the use of artificial intelligence in health care. The full survey results can be viewed here.
Key takeaways from the poll
While this survey contains many new and interesting insights into Californians' shared health care experiences and policy priorities, here are my top five takeaways from this year's survey.
- California's mental health system is under strain. This year's CHCF poll found that more than half (52%) of people who tried to make a mental health care appointment last year had trouble finding a mental health provider who would accept their insurance. A similar proportion (55%) also reported unreasonable wait times for mental health treatment. When asked about treatment for severe mental illness, more than 2 in 3 Californians (67%) think it needs improvement. Increasing access to mental health treatment is now a “very” or “very” important health policy priority for four in five Californians (81%).
- Medical costs and medical debt are making Californians sicker. More than half (53%) of Californians say they skipped or postponed care in the last year because of cost. When it comes to low-income Californians (74%), this number rises to an astonishing 3 out of 4. More than half (54%) of those who skipped care said their symptoms worsened as a result, leading to further health problems. Meanwhile, nearly 4 in 10 (38%) Californians and more than half (52%) of low-income Californians have medical debt, and nearly 1 in 5 owe more than $5,000. answered.
- Significant work remains to improve racial equity in health care. Despite new efforts to recognize and address racial inequities in the health care system, Californians have mixed opinions about the pace of improvement. 42% of all Californians believe the state has made “a lot” or “some” progress toward racial and ethnic health equity in the past few years, compared with 44% of Black Californians. 33% of Latino/a Californians believe the state has made “a lot” or “some” progress toward racial and ethnic health equity. “I've made some progress” or “I've made no progress at all.” Nearly half (45%) of Californians say the health care system “regularly” or “sometimes” treats people unfairly because of their race, a figure that rises to 67% among Black Californians. go up to A recent CHCF study, “Listen to Black Californians,” identified research at the clinical, managerial, and training levels that could reduce the impact of racism on Black Californians’ healthcare experiences and improve health outcomes. A series of policy measures and practice changes were identified.
- California's medical workforce shortage continues to impact many communities. Nearly half (46%) of Californians believe their area does not have enough mental health care providers, including psychologists and therapists, to meet the needs of residents. Additionally, 42% say there is a shortage of nurses and primary care providers in their area. These numbers have increased since 2022 for many medical professionals. Multiracial (69%) and Black Californians (56%) are more likely than Asians (37%) and White Californians (45%) to say their communities lack adequate mental health providers. There is a high possibility that you will answer.
- Extreme weather is exacerbating health problems in the Golden State. As the effects of climate change become a part of everyday life, more than half (53%) of Californians say they are “very” or “somewhat” affected by environmental factors such as extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and poor air quality. ” They answered that they were worried. The quality of a family member's physical or mental health. For low-income groups, this number rises to 65%. 82% of Spanish-speaking Californians say they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned about the effects of the weather on their health, compared to English (52%) and Chinese (51%). I am. One in five Californians (21%) and 29% of low-income state residents report that extreme weather events are impacting their health.
The complete health policy poll report provides more information about these and many other health-related issues for Californians, including housing and homelessness and the challenges of running our health care system.
