The California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) today released its second annual Snapshot: California's Uninsured, 2004. The report, based on analysis of the Current Population Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, finds that the number of uninsured Californians held steady in 2003 at approximately 6.5 million. Employment-based coverage continued to decline gradually, while enrollment in public health insurance programs, particularly Medi-Cal, increased.
According to Jill Yegian, director of CHCF’s Health Insurance Program, "The long-term growth of the uninsured population in California, and nationally, is a complex problem driven by numerous economic and demographic forces. Fluctuation in employment, family income, and citizenship status each play a significant role, as do premium costs."
The snapshot includes:
- Health insurance coverage sources and trends;
- Employer-based coverage and uninsured population trends;
- Likelihood of being uninsured by ethnicity, income, and age group;
- Comparisons with other states; and
- Public program eligibility.
About the Employee Benefit Research Institute
The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) is the only nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed exclusively to data dissemination, policy research, and education on economic security and employee benefits. For more information, visit www.ebri.org.