The California Simulation of Insurance Markets (CalSIM) model estimates the impact of the Affordable Care Act on employer decisions to offer insurance coverage and individual decisions to obtain coverage in California. The model was developed by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, with funding provided by the California Endowment. The ACA will expand access to health coverage across California, with tax subsidies available through the California Health Benefit Exchange for eligible families with incomes up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Los Angeles is expected to account for nearly one-third of the new subsidy eligible Exchange enrollees, with 550,000 to 670,000 participants depending on the level of enrollment. The Greater Bay Area is expected to make up 16% of the subsidized Exchange participants, while the remaining Southern California counties will account for a smaller share.
