Ensuring Seamless Insurance Coverage for California's Children

Recent national research has shown that 85 million people lacked health insurance at some point over a four-year period.1 While some Americans are consistently uninsured, substantial numbers have intermittent coverage. Consider, for example, a family that is currently covered through a parent’s employment-based health insurance. A subsequent job loss could leave that family uninsured until another job with health insurance is secured, the family purchases a non-group health insurance policy, or the family is determined to be eligible for and enrolls in public coverage. Another family with low to moderate income may have children enrolled in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and an increase in family income could result in these children losing eligibility for public coverage. There may then be a period of uninsurance before affordable new private coverage can be secured. Because health insurance is often tied to factors such as employment status or family income, changes in these areas can affect the continuity of health insurance coverage and, consequently, the quality of care received.

The New America Foundation has proposed an approach to comprehensive health reform in California that would build on the system that is already in place, relying upon the concept of shared responsibility among households, employers, and taxpayers.

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