ACA ads to cost millions

Promotion of the Affordable Care Act, Medi-Cal expansion, and the state’s health-insurance exchange could cost California more than $300 million.

Under the ACA, Medi-Cal will allow coverage for individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level ($15,416) to gain coverage, while the exchange—called Covered California and set to open for registration in October—will allow users to compare various health-care plans online, according to The Associated Press. Federal officials have targeted California as a particularly important front for the implementation of the ACA, as the state has the nation’s largest health-insurance market and six million uninsured residents.

Of the $684 million earmarked for ACA advertising in the United States, California is expected to receive $174 million; additionally, The California Endowment plans to spend roughly $130 million on enrollment and advertising aimed at the Hispanic population.