Working Californians Have Low Levels of Health Care Coverage

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

This is why we need to get a comprehensive health care reform passed now. Millions of Californians cannot afford to wait for the perfect plan to make it into law years down the road. The situation is bad and getting worse.

California now ranks fifth nationwide in the percentage of workers who have health care coverage through their jobs. The national average is 63% and here in California it is only 55.7%. Heath insurance has gotten more expensive and companies have been pushing the costs on to workers or reducing benefits. Chron:

In California, the problem is worse due to the sheer size of the population and the fact a large number of residents work in jobs that typically do not offer health insurance, such as agriculture, hospitality and the service industry.

According to the study, which uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, the number of Californians covered by their jobs dropped to just under 18 million workers in 2005-2006 from 18.5 million in 2000-2001, or nearly half a million people.

It is bad and getting worse. The middle class is hit the hardest and children are losing their coverage.

While low-wage workers had the lowest level of coverage, middle-wage employees in California saw the steepest decline in those offered insurance during the past five years. And more than 600,000 fewer children in California were covered by their parents' insurance last year than in 2000.

"Employer-based coverage is eroding in California, and the people being hit the hardest are working families in our communities," said Sarah Muller, associate policy director of Working Partnerships USA , a nonprofit labor research group based in San Jose. "If there is no statewide health reform to address these issues, a growing number of people will be uninsured."

The more time it takes, the more people suffer and die. That is not theoretical, that's life. Millions are suffering and we have the opportunity to do something about it. This is not just some policy debate.

[UPDATE] Here is part of a statement by Art Pulaski of the CA Labor Fed:

Fewer employers are willing to cover the costs of health care and are forcing workers to carry a greater financial burden by paying higher out of pocket expenses. The study's conclusion reinforces our concern that any health care plan that does not require employers to assume a fair burden is doomed. And as more employers drop coverage, workers will be left to fend for themselves in a market where they can pay as much as $13,000 for health care.

Under the Governor's plan, some employers will pay nothing at all for their employees' health care. If we ask too little of them it won't increase the number of workers who get coverage and won't fix our broken health care system. If we want real health care reform, we need a plan that will make health care affordable by requiring employers to truly share responsibility.