• Californians are more likely to be uninsured than residents of all but six states. About 20 percent of Californians lack health insurance at any one time during the year. For the nation, the average is 17 percent. California has 6.5 million uninsured.
• Californians are less likely to be offered health coverage at work. About 55 percent of Californians have coverage through their employer. The national average is 61 percent.
• Most of the uninsured in California (80 percent) are from working families and in low- and moderate- income families.
• California has a greater percentage of low-wage workers, who are more likely to need financial help to afford coverage.
• Californians are more likely to be buying insurance coverage in the individual market and to be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. About 7.5 percent of Californians have individual coverage, compared with 5.5 percent nationwide.
• A higher percentage of Californians get their health care through public programs. About 16 percent of state residents use Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families program, compared with 14 percent nationwide.
Source: Health Access, a nonprofit group that advocates for greater access to health insurance and health care
Additional sources
• A nonpartisan Web site on California's attempt at health reform: http://calhealthreform.org
• President Barack Obama's health reform Web page: http://healthreform.gov
• Health Access, a California group that advocates for broader coverage: http://health-access.org
• The Pacific Research Institute, a free-market think tank: http://health.pacificresearch.org
