Faith-Based Group’s Survey Finds 79% of Orange County Residents Lack Health Coverage
According to an "unscientific" survey of Orange County residents, 79% of respondents do not have health insurance, and 62% have "at least one" uninsured child, the Los Angeles Times reports. Conducted by the Orange County Congregation Community Organizations, a church-based coalition working to increase health care coverage, the survey interviewed 4,816 "parishioners of member churches, as well as community residents," and found respondents had "only some familiarity" with public health insurance programs such as Healthy Families, Medi-Cal and Medicare. While only one-quarter of the survey responses have been tabulated, the Times reports that the result "mirrors" findings from other studies, which have indicated that 22% of Californians lack health insurance. The national average is 17%. Members of the coalition are writing letters to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson "urging" the approval of a waiver to expand Healthy Families coverage to include parents of covered children. If the waiver is approved, the state estimates an additional 170,000 parents and 130,000 children would enroll within a year (Mena, Los Angeles Times, 11/6).
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