Shasta and Lassen Counties face some of California’s most pressing health care challenges. Residents experience high death rates from chronic disease, suicide, and drug overdoses — while a severe workforce shortage limits access to care. About 180,000 of the region’s nearly 210,000 residents live in Shasta County.

Findings: 

• Medicare patients and those with commercial insurance face challenges accessing health care. 
• Federal and state budget cuts threaten rural provider survival. Three in five residents are not covered by Medi-Cal or Medicare. In many remote communities, a single community health center (CHC) or critical access hospital is the only source of care.
• Residents of Shasta and Lassen Counties experience significantly higher death rates than Californians overall.
• Political polarization has affected access to behavioral health services, county health department functions, and recruitment of health professionals to the area.
• Despite challenges, community organizations in Shasta County have joined together to address critical behavioral health infrastructure needs. A new treatment facility offering a continuum of crisis stabilization services has been identified as the region’s highest priority.

This report uses 2018–2019 and 2022–2023 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data.