Why Is This Important?
Affordable quality health care is necessary for a healthy and productive life.  Health insurance allows access to health care and spreads the cost across the community.  High costs for health insurance, treatment, and medications are a deterrent to obtaining proper care and leave less money for other basic needs.  Deferring care because of cost often leads to more severe illness, which burdens individuals and the health care system further.

What Is a Sustainable State?
A sustainable state is one where all members of the community have access to affordable quality health care.  

How Are We Doing?
Health insurance

  • In 2005, 8 percent of San Mateo County residents lacked health insurance—roughly 56,000 individuals.  This is an improvement from 2003 when 10 percent of county residents lacked health insurance. 
  • The percentage of county residents lacking health insurance compared favorably with both the state (14 percent) and the entire nine-county Bay Area region (9 percent).

Data source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

  • In 2005, 63 percent of county residents received health insurance through an employer-based plan, a slight decline from the 65 percent in 2001.  In 2005, only 52 percent of individuals statewide received health insurance through an employer-based plan.
  • From 2001 to 2005, the percentage of county residents receiving health insurance through public programs grew from 21 to 23 percent and the percentage of county residents purchasing private insurance declined from 7 to 6 percent.

Data source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Health care costs

  • In 2007, the cost of health care in the Bay Area Metropolitan region, as measured by increases in the medical care category of the Con­sumer Price Index, grew by 7 percent compared with a 3 percent increase for all goods.
  • Over the past decade, medical costs have risen at an annual average growth rate of nearly 5 percent compared with a 3 percent growth rate for all goods.

Data source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

See appendix page 75, CLICK HERE. Researchers: Joyce Routson and Joe Rois