FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
September 3, 2001 Tomiko Conner, Project Director
To receive this Press Release in Spanish, Chinese, Community Voices Project (510) 633-6292
Vietnamese or Korean please contact us.
Patricia Barrera, Policy Director
Alameda County Can Close the Health Coverage Gap
According to a New Survey on Alameda County’s Uninsured Adults
Press Briefing and Report Release
Wednesday, September 5, 2001
10:30 am
Preservation Park, Nile Hall
1233 Preservation Park Way
Speakers:
Dr. Ninez Ponce, CAUS Principal Investigator
Keith Carson, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
Alice Lai-Bitker, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
According to a new survey released by a county-wide collaborative, there are over 140,000 uninsured non-elderly adults in Alameda County. If all the uninsured adults lived in a single city, it would be the third largest city in Alameda County. Over 70% of these uninsured adults are people of color, 55% are working, and 53% are immigrants. 32% also currently are eligible for but not enrolled in Medi-Cal and Family Care, a health coverage program offered by the Alameda Alliance for Health.
The report presents the findings of the County of Alameda Uninsured Survey (CAUS). This multi-language, county-specific survey of uninsured adults in Alameda County is the first of its kind and is a much-needed supplement to existing data on children. Funded by Alameda County, the Alameda Alliance for Health, and the Community Voices of Oakland, the seminal findings from this survey are outlined in a report entitled, Advancing Universal Health Coverage in Alameda County: Results of the County of Alameda Uninsured Survey (CAUS), published jointly with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
"This unique survey profiles uninsured Alameda County residents and supports our efforts to continue to expand health coverage," says Irene Ibarra, CEO of the Alameda Alliance for Health. Using the CAUS data, Alameda County can now better focus its resources and county-wide efforts to cover the gap between those who have health insurance and those who do not. "Based on these findings, it is clear that the County can make significant efforts to close the health coverage gap for a large number of the uninsured," says Jane Garcia, CEO of La Clínica de La Raza consultant on the CAUS.
"Health coverage is crucial for the health and well-being of all Alameda County residents. This report identifies the need for Alameda County to maximize enrollment and retention into current health coverage programs and finance coverage for a significant number of low-income uninsured adults, as well as children," says Alice Lai-Bitker, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors’ Health Committee.