Report: 6.5M Californians Under 65 Have Pre-Existing Conditions
About 6.5 million Californians under age 65 -- or about one in five nonelderly state residents -- have a pre-existing condition that could prevent them from obtaining coverage in the individual health insurance market, according to a California-specific report released Tuesday by Families USA, Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" reports.
Last week, Families USA released its national report, which found that 57.2 million residents -- or about one in five nonelderly adults -- face coverage denials or insurance rate increases because of pre-existing conditions (Dennis, "Booster Shots," Los Angeles Times, 5/11).
Families USA notes that such individuals could benefit from a provision in the new health reform law that will prohibit insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
California Findings
In its California-specific report, Families USA found that:
- About 576,500 state residents younger than age 18 have a diagnosed pre-existing condition that could lead to a coverage denial;
- More than one in seven California adults ages 18 through 24 have a pre-existing condition;
- Nearly one-third of state residents ages 45 through 54 have a pre-existing condition; and
- More than two in five California adults ages 55 through 64 have a pre-existing condition.
Income Disparities
The report found that low-income California residents are more likely to have pre-existing conditions. Among individuals with family incomes below the federal poverty level, the report found that more than one in five have a pre-existing condition (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 5/11).
However, the report noted that more than two-thirds of Californians with pre-existing conditions have family incomes greater than 200% of the federal poverty level.
Methodology
The report is based on data from the federal Medical Expenditures Panel Survey and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (Families USA release, 5/11).
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