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Title: CA Issue Brief No. 1: Overview of Findings
(2008 Health Insurance Survey of California Farm and Ranch Operators)
Copyright Date: May 2008
Pages: 12
Authors:Carol Pryor, The Access Project; Jeffrey Prottas, Brandeis University; Bill Lottero and Mark Rukavina, The Access Project
Description: The Access Project conducted a survey of more than 1,700 California family farmers and ranchers, and this first issue brief provides an overview of the survey findings.
Findings included that despite high rates of insurance coverage, farm and ranch families in the state spent, on average, more than $8,500 on healthcare premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses annually, and more than one in ten had debt resulting from medical or dental bills. People purchasing health insurance on the individual market had significantly higher expenses than those getting coverage through employment. To cover expenses, many used up savings or had to take out loans against their farm or ranch or add to their credit card debt. The report highlights the necessity of developing proposals that will ease the burden of health care costs for self-employed rural residents and small business operators.
For more information on the report, including a Photo Essay of Farm and Ranch Families telling their stories, please go to the California Endowment website at www.tce.org.
Download:
Issue Brief No. 1: Overview of Findings
Media Report
Hard Copies: Available for $8.00. E-mail your request to info@accessproject.org.
Topics: Rural Health | Medical Debt