Fresno: As Uninsured Rate Falls, Capacity Constraints Grow
California Health Care Almanac Regional Markets Issue Brief
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Key Findings
Key Developments Include:
- Major growth in Medi-Cal enrollment and reductions in uninsurance as a result of ACA coverage expansions.
- Growing capacity constraints.
- Continued growth of Rural Health Clinics.
- Expanded coverage and government subsidies shore up hospital and clinic finances.
- Physicians begin to consolidate and align more closely with hospitals.
- Providers begin taking on more risk in a market that historically has been almost exclusively fee-for-service.
Since the last round of this study in 2011-2012, the Fresno region’s largely agricultural economy has experienced some growth, though it continues to be one of the poorest areas in California. Given the region’s high poverty rate, many previously uninsured people were able to enroll in Medi-Cal when the state expanded eligibility for the program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The gain in the share of patients with insurance coverage has helped bring financial stability to the region’s health care sector but also has compounded existing provider capacity constraints and access challenges.
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