Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Drops

Job-based health insurance continues to drop despite a strong economy.

The State of Health Insurance in California: Findings from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey found that the reduction in employer-offered insurance coverage from 2001 to 2005 affected 678,000 Californians. The report also found in 2005:

• 80 percent of uninsured, employed Californians don't have access to affordable health insurance through their employer
  
• 55 percent of uninsured, employed Californians worked for employers not offering health insurance;
• 20 percent of uninsured, employed Californians were not eligible for their employers' health benefits;
• 84 percent of uninsured Californians are people with jobs and their families;
• 4.2 million uninsured Californians are full-time employees and their families.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was at UCLA when the report was released, calling for healthcare reform.

The Senate Health Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on Assembly Bill 8, bipartisan healthcare reform.