Number of People Without Medical Insurance Grows In California
Posted on Fri, Aug 27, 2010
According to the University of California at Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research, the number of people without medical insurance in California jumped in all counties due to the recession.
The state of California's uninsured rate averages about 24.3%. However, 37 counties ranging from Shasta to Kern to Imperial had higher uninsured rates than the average.
The majority of people who lost their medical insurance was in Southern California counties, such as San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial. All counties within the San Joaquin Valley, and most counties within the Northern/Sierra areas (except Humbolt and Sutter) had uninsured rates higher than 24.3%
The loss of medical insurance within these areas was mostly due to drastic increases in unemployment, employer sponsored coverage being dropped, and household incomes dropping as a result.