California Draws $3.2B In Federal Health Subsidies
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Californians received $3.2 billion in federal subsidies last year to help make health insurance more affordable.
The state announced the total Monday for the first time since the subsidies began in 2014 as part of the federal health overhaul. It showed that Californians who qualified for assistance spent $1.1 billion on premiums while the federal government contributed $3.2 billion.
That three-to-one ratio is consistent with national averages reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee says about 800,000 households received an average of $436 a month in premium subsidies. Between 85 and 88 percent of individuals who enrolled qualified for assistance.
The state is also starting to send out new tax reporting forms this week showing the premium assistance each household received.
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