This is what child health equity looks like: healthy kids; strong, economically stable, well connected families; and safe and welcoming communities. Almost every part of the Trump Administration’s budget and policies hurt children’s health. Medicaid is under attack, affecting Medi-Cal in California, so we’re fighting together for the health of our families. In this fight, we have to remember: we have the power to make health equity real.
Here’s the plan: Let your Senators and Congressmembers hear from you. Tell them how Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) impacts you and your community.
Share this page: www.tinyurl.com/ProtectKidsHealth
TAKE ACTION
Email Your Representatives
Sign the letter to let our leaders know we need them to protect Medi-Cal and Medicaid NOW!
Call Your Representatives
Phone Banks targeting California’s three districts led by moderate Republicans are happening every Monday – Friday now through an eventual vote. More information can be found here:
In-Person Rallies
Join us at upcoming rallies across the state! For our children to be healthy, our families, seniors, people with disabilities and anyone living in California must have access to Medicaid and Medi-Cal health coverage.
Disability Week of Action Rallies
✊🏾 Bakersfield Rally
🗓️ April 21 | ⏰ 11:30 AM
Congressmember Ken Calvert’s office, 73710 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA | RSVP
✊🏿 Anaheim & Hesperia Rallies
🗓️ April 22 | ⏰ 11:30 AM
Congressmember Young Kim’s office,📍 180 N Riverview Drive, Anaheim, CA | RSVP
Congressmember Jay Obernolte’s office, 📍 9700 7th Avenue, Hesperia, CA | RSVP
✊🏾 Santee, Rocklin & Modesto Rallies
🗓️ April 23 | ⏰ 11:30 AM
Congressmember Darrell Issa’s office, 📍 10601 Magnolia Avenue, Santee, CA | RSVP
Congressmember Kevin Kiley’s office,📍 6538 Lonetree Boulevard, Rocklin, CA | RSVP
Congressmember Tom McClintock’s office, 📍 1020 15th Street, Modesto, CA | RSVP
✊🏿 Bakersfield & Clovis Rallies
🗓️ April 24 | ⏰ 11:30 AM
Congressmember David Valadao’s office, 📍2700 M Street, Bakersfield, CA | RSVP
Congressmember Vince Fong’s office, 📍2187 Herndon Avenue, Clovis, CA | RSVP
✊🏾 Chico Rally
🗓️ April 25 | ⏰ 11:30 AM
Congressmember Doug LaMalfa’s office, 📍120 Independence Circle, Chico, CA | RSVP
RESOURCES
Donald Trump and Republicans are planning to jam devastating health care cuts through Congress – risking lives by ripping crucial care away from millions of American children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities and hiking prices on working people – all to pay for colossal tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and corporations.
Trillions of dollars in health care cuts pushed by Elon Musk won’t hurt him and the other billionaires surrounding Trump, but they will hurt children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families.
We are fighting back and telling California Congressmembers to stand with their constituents, not billionaires. Don’t Take Away Our Health Care!
The Fight For Our Health coalition is made up of health, consumer, labor, children, senior, disability rights, LGBTQ+, small business, and community of color organizations across the state organizing on the ground efforts to stop any federal attempts to cut, cap, or otherwise take health care away from Californians.
Fact Sheet: Medicaid & Kids in California
INFOGRAPHICS
Medi-Cal Enrollment Maps for Children & Teens
The maps below show the percentages of an area’s children and teens enrolled in Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid). Explore these maps and additional data from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
Data by County
Data by Congressional District
Data by California Assembly District
Data by California Senate District
Read more about Medi-Cal and Medicaid’s impact on California families
Keep Kids Covered: Continuous Medi-Cal Coverage
American Academy of Pediatrics. “The Opioid Epidemic: How to Protect Your Family.” Last updated January 4, 2024, at https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/substance-abuse/Pages/The-Opioid-Epidemic.aspx.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families. “Medicaid is Vital to California’s Children.” Published February 2025 at https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Medicaid-is-Vital-to-California_s-Children.pdf.
Brown D.W., Kowalski A.E., and Lurie I.Z. “Long-Term Impacts of Childhood Medicaid Expansions on Outcomes in Adulthood.” Rev Econ Stud. 2020 Mar;87(2):792-821. doi: 10.1093/restud/rdz039. Epub 2019 Jul 25. PMID: 32863441; PMCID: PMC7453338. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32863441/.
California Department of Health Care Services. “Medi-Cal Certified Eligible Counts by Legislative Districts and Aid Category (Ages 0-19) – July 2024 Month Of Enrollment.” Updated February 2025, at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/dataandstats/statistics/Documents/Preliminary-Medi-Cal-Legislative-Districts-Ages0-19-July2024.pdf. Percentages calculated with combined age groups Under 5, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 from 2023 American Community Survey estimates.
California Department of Health Care Services. “Medi-Cal Managed Care.” Accessed March 8, 2025, at https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/Medi-CalManagedCare.aspx.
California Health Care Foundation. “Defending Medi-Cal in 2025.” Published January 22, 2025, at https://www.chcf.org/publication/defending-medi-cal-2025/.
CalMatters. “California has a lot to lose if Trump slashes Medicaid. Seniors, kids and more could face coverage cuts.” Published February 28, 2025, at https://calmatters.org/health/2025/02/medicaid-medi-cal-trump-cuts/.
Centers for Disease Control. “New CDC data illuminate youth mental health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Published March 31, 2022, at https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Behavioral Health Services.” Accessed February 25, 2025, at https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/behavioral-health-services/index.html.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Expenditure Reports From MBES/CBES.” Accessed February 25, 2025, at https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/financial-management/state-expenditure-reporting-for-medicaid-chip/expenditure-reports-mbescbes.
Family Voices of California. “Save Medicaid!” Accessed February 25, 2025, at https://www.familyvoicesofca.org/medicaid/.
Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families. “Medicaid’s Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas.” Published January 15, 2025, at https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2025/01/15/medicaids-role-in-small-towns-and-rural-areas/.
Healthy Students, Promising Futures. “Understanding School Medicaid.” Accessed February 25, 2025, at https://healthystudentspromisingfutures.org/understanding-school-medicaid/.
KFF. “Children with Special Health Care Needs: Coverage, Affordability, and HCBS Access.” Published October 4, 2021, at https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/children-with-special-health-care-needs-coverage-affordability-and-hcbs-access/.
Kids Data. “Medi-Cal Average Monthly Enrollment, by Race/Ethnicity.” Accessed October 9, 2024, at https://www.kidsdata.org/topic/735/medi-cal-monthly-enrollment-race/table#fmt=2337&loc=2&tf=110&ch=7,11,8,10,9,127,912&sortColumnId=0&sortType=asc.
Kliff, Sarah, and González Gómez, Martín. “More Than 70 Million Americans Are on Medicaid. This Is Where They Live.” The New York Times, February 27, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/27/us/politics/medicaid-enrollment.html. Estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities from Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) enrollment figures for October 2024.
March of Dimes Peristats. “Health Insurance/Income.” Accessed February 25, 2025, at https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?reg=99&top=11&stop=154&lev=1&slev=4&obj=1&sreg=06.
The Commonwealth Fund. “How Medicaid Helps Your State.” Published January 30, 2025, at https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/maps-and-interactives/2025/jan/map-how-medicaid-helps-your-state.