Nearly 6.4 Million Californians Lacked Health Insurance in 2007 - Recession Likely to Reverse Small Gains in Coverage

This policy brief draws upon CHIS 2007 data to examine latest trends in health insurance for the state of California. The authors found that nearly a quarter of all Californians under age 65 — or 6.4 million people — were without health insurance for all or some of 2007. This number represents 19.5% of all Californians under age 65, which is slightly lower than the uninsured rate of 20.2% in 2005. However, the authors note that although the data was collected during a period of relative economic strength, the gains were small and are now likely to be reversed by the 2008-2009 recession.

This publication was developed with grants from The California Endowment and The California Wellness Foundation.

Publication Authors:

• Shana Charles, PhD, MPP
• Erin Peckham
• Y. Jenny Chia