Authors:

Abstract

The use of prescription drugs can play an important role in improving health. For those without health insurance, access to prescription drugs may be limited by cost. California is currently considering a number of bills and propositions, including competing propositions on the November special election ballot, Propositions 78 and 79, as well as Senate Bill 19 and Assembly Bill 75, which address the lack of access to prescription drugs for the uninsured. To help inform the discussion of the proposed legislation, this report examines various methods for defining the number of uninsured Californians and the programs, both public and private, that are available to provide assistance to those who are unable to afford prescription drugs.

The report examines data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to estimate the number of uninsured in the state. It also looks at the uninsured population by age, Federal Poverty Level, gender, County, and race.

Note: Information contained in this report is accurate as of the original publication date. Be advised that programs may change frequently.

Full Report [PDF]
Supplemental Appendix [PDF]

For information on funding for this project, go to the funding page.

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