California Workers Chronically Uninsured
A new report shows that California state workers top the list for those who are chronically uninsured. Of all the professions in the state, construction workers represent the group with the largest number of workers walking around without coverage, as many as 40%. This was even at the time when the construction industry was booming, before the recession hit. So although the stimulus dollars Obama is directing toward the state will create construction jobs, these jobs will do little to change the rate of the uninsured. The study shows that barriers to health insurance coverage included self employment and high turn-over rates. Most workers simply revealed that they could not afford it. Assuredly this problem is not confined to California, which begs the question, what needs to change so that such a large segment of the population does not go without health insurance?