The number of Californians without health insurance grew in all counties during the recession, according to a new study, while 37 counties had uninsured rates above the statewide average of 24.3 percent.
The number of uninsured Californians has increased by an average of 5 percent since 2007, according to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
According to the UCLA study, the loss of health insurance was concentrated in southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and the northern/Sierra areas, all of which had 2009 uninsured rates that were above the statewide average of 24 percent.
The losses were due to sharp increases in local unemployment and corresponding drops in household income and job-based coverage, the report's authors said.
"Healthcare reform is several years away, but families are dealing with health problems right now," said Shana Alex Lavarreda, lead researcher. "Every effort should be made to help families in need even sooner than 2014."
Included in health reform measures are federal subsidies for purchasing health insurance through a state-based health insurance exchange and a federally funded expansion of Medi-Cal.
County estimates were based on a simulation model that predicted changes in county-level uninsurance using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, adjusted with 2009 county unemployment rates, and taking into account simultaneous decreases in household income. The model also included county-level increases in public health insurance from 2007 to 2009, based on administrative data from Medi-Cal and Healthy Families enrollment counts.