Low-Income Californians and health care: selected findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation/California Health Care Foundation California Health Policy Survey
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Hamel, Liz, author Lopes, Lunna, author Wu, Bryan , author Brodie, Mollyann, author Aliferis, Lisa, author Stremikis, Kristof, author Antebi, Eric, author
- Contributor(s):
- California HealthCare Foundation, issuing body. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Oakland, CA : California Health Care Foundation : San Francisco, CA : Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2019
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Delivery of Health Care Health Care Surveys Poverty Health Care Costs Health Services Accessibility Medicaid Mental Health Services State Government Substance-Related Disorders -- therapy Waiting Lists Humans California United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Despite its large economy, California is also the state with the highest poverty rate (19 percent) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As Governor Gavin Newsom begins his tenure in office, Californians across income groups see health care as a key issue for the new governor and legislature to address. In late 2018, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation conducted a representative survey of the state's residents to gauge their views on health policy priorities and their experiences in California's health care system. This summary examines key findings from the survey among "low-income" Californians, defined here as those whose self-reported incomes are below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (approximately $49,000 for a family of four). Where relevant, they are compared to higher-income Californians--those with self-reported incomes at or above 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Overall, the survey finds that while Californians at all income levels see health care as an important priority for the governor and legislative leaders to work on, health care affordability and access emerge as particularly prominent concerns among low-income residents of the state. Key findings include: (1) Affordability of health care has affected treatment decisions for many low-income Californians, with over half saying that in the past year, they or someone in their family has delayed or forgone some type of medical or dental treatment due to costs. (2) Californians with low incomes are almost twice as likely as higher-income residents to say they have had problems paying medical bills. As a result, many of those who experienced difficulty paying medical bills say they have had to cut back spending in other areas, use savings, or borrow money. (3) Low-income Californians are also more likely than other residents to report nonfinancial barriers to accessing health care, such as long wait times to get an appointment. A majority of Californians with low incomes say their community does not have enough mental health providers, and about four in ten say their community lacks enough primary care doctors and specialists to meet the needs of residents. (4) The distinctive health care experience of low-income Californians is also evident in their attitudes toward Medi-Cal. While overwhelming majorities of Californians across income levels say Medi-Cal is important to the state, low-income Californians are twice as likely as those with higher incomes to say the program is important to them and their families.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (14 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101758759 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101758759