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Previously, Charles spent 15 years at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, with six years as director of the Health Insurance Studies Program and nine years as a senior research scientist. Charles regularly appears on numerous NPR and other talk radio programs to discuss health care reform issues and their impact, including "Press Play," "Take Two" and "Air Talk." Her work has received national media attention, including CBS Online News, NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Politico
Charles received her master's degree in public policy (health and regional development) from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and her PhD in health services (health policy) from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

As of 2020, more than 2.5 million Californians age 64 and under had no health insurance coverage, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
The report is based on an analysis of the center’s California Health Interview Survey from 2019 and 2020.