Southern California legislative districts have most uninsured children

​ Los Angeles - New data released today from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research allows Californians to see the number and percent of uninsured children in their Congressional, Assembly and Senate district.

The data is presented on the Center's website in an easy-to-use format along with links that help users find their district number. This web-only feature is funded by The California Endowment and uses the latest data, released in December, from the California Health Interview Survey, the nation's largest state health survey.

Southern California districts in San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial Counties had the highest percentages of uninsured children.

Districts in the Bay Area counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara had the lowest percentages and numbers of uninsured children.

"It's no accident that we're seeing higher rates of children without insurance in less affluent areas," said E. Richard Brown, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "Families with low or moderate incomes often work for employers that don't make health insurance available to their workers and these families usually cannot afford the soaring costs of coverage purchased directly from insurers. The data gives policymakers a useful snapshot that will enable them to better address these inequities."

"It is important to note that these are 2007 data and it is likely that the percentages and numbers of kids without health coverage has increased, and will continue to do so as more and more Californians lose their jobs," said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment. "We know when kids lose coverage they are significantly less likely to access health care services. This can often result in preventable illnesses and, in some instances, learning disabilities that impact children for the rest of their lives."

Districts with the highest percentage and number of uninsured children include:

• Congressional District:
  California Congressional District 45, covering parts of Riverside County, including the communities of Palm Springs, Moreno Valley, Palm Desert, Hemet, Cathedral City, Temecula, Blythe, Rancho Mirage, Murrieta, Indio, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Cabazon, Anza, Thermal, Idyllwild, Coachella and other unincorporated areas had the highest percentage of uninsured children (10%) as well as the highest overall number of uninsured children: approximately 26,000.
  
  Senate District:
  California Senate District 32, encompassing part of the Inland Empire, all of Pomona in Los Angeles County and also parts of San Bernardino, including all of Bloomington, Fontana, Montclair, Muscoy, Ontario, and Rialto and parts of Colton and San Bernardino, had the highest percentage of uninsured children (9.7%) and the highest overall number of uninsured children: 34,000.
  
  Assembly District:
  California Assembly District 80, spanning all of Imperial County and portions of Riverside County, had the highest percentage of uninsured children (11.5%) and the highest overall number of uninsured children: 20,000.

Districts with the lowest percentage and number of uninsured children include:

• Congressional District:
  Congressional District 12, comprising portions of San Mateo and San Francisco counties, had the lowest percentage of uninsured children (3.2%) and, along with Congressional District 8 (covering most of the city and county of San Francisco), the lowest overall number of uninsured children: approximately 4,000 in each district.
  
  Senate District:
  Senate District 8, encompassing the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County had the lowest percentage of uninsured children (8%) and the lowest overall number of uninsured children: 6,000.
  
  Assembly District:
  Assembly District 19, encompassing parts of San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, had the lowest percentage of uninsured children (3.32%) while Assembly District 13, covering parts of San Francisco County, had the lowest overall number of uninsured children: approximately 2,000.

See legislative district data for children.

About The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
One of the nation's leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health-related information on Californians.

About The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)
CHIS is the nation's largest state health survey and one of the largest health surveys in the United States. Visit us at www.askchis.com

About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. For more information, visit The Endowment's Web site at www.calendow.org.