Affordable California health insurance
Reader question:
Why is it so hard to get affordable California health insurance?
Mary Anne
Great question.
It is hard, isn’t it? To be completely honest, it’s hard everywhere, but it is true that in recent times getting affordable health insurance in California has gotten even harder than before, and it’s become more of a public issue. With rising health care costs, more and more people are without California health insurance and a lot of new laws and proposals have come up in the state legislature about the issue.
Even though things are getting worse everywhere, in California it’s worse than ever. The issue isn’t even about getting affordable California health insurance anymore. It’s about getting health insurance in California at all. The California Health Care Charterbook states that eighteen percent of the population of California is not covered by health insurance as of 2002. Just looking at the elderly, 20% aren’t covered at all, and they are often the ones that need it most.
One of the main reasons for this large lack of coverage is the burgeoning immigrant community in California. It takes up 27% of California’s people, and 52% of that 27% who have been in California less than five years don’t have health insurance. The number only goes down by twelve percent after the five year mark.
Those under the age of eighteen are doing the best as far as health insurance in California. But mostly this is because of Medicaid, and as soon as those kids hit eighteen, they will join the uninsured population. The same will be true for many of those kids who are insured under their parent’s plan right now.
All of that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get affordable California health insurance, although it is difficult. It will take more shopping around than in other states, but eventually, if you get enough quotes and know your business, you can find a health insurance provider that is satisfactory.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.