Snapshot: California's Uninsured 2004

Publication Date: October 2004

Publisher: California HealthCare Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Brief

Coverage: California

Abstract:

The number of uninsured Californians held steady in 2003 at approximately 6.5 million, just over 20% of the non-elderly population. However, employment-based coverage continued its gradual decline, while the share of the population obtaining health insurance through public programs, particularly Medi-Cal, continued to increase. The growth of the uninsured population is a complex problem that is driven by numerous economic and demographic forces. This presentation examines California's uninsured through the lens of these factors to provide a snapshot of the elements that may be influencing the level of health coverage in the state. Spreadsheets containing the detailed data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute's analysis of the Current Population Survey, from which this graphical snapshot is drawn, are also available.