Alas and Alack(ing) Insurance

Approximately one-fifth of state residents under 65 who live in households with at least one employed family member do not have access to job-based health insurance.

This information comes from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).About a third of residents obtained coverage through Medi-Cal benefits (14.1 percent), privately purchased insurance (11.8 percent) or their parent's health plan (7.4 percent). Thanks to public programs, children fared better, but that still leaves 21.4 percent without health coverage.

The poor, Latinos and small-business employees ranked among the least likely to have access to job-based health insurance. More than half of these residents reside in Southern California with the highest percentage (more than 31 percent) living in Los Angeles county.

Gary L. Yates, president and CEO of the California Wellness Foundation, which funded the study, said the state's economy depends on what he terms a more comprehensive approach to healthcare. He said the study underscores the need to support a healthcare safety net.