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2008 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being
Children Now
This new web tool tracks 26 key, interrelated indicators of children's well-being by county, providing a current measure and trend for each. The relative performances of counties on every indicator are highlighted and grouped by county population density and per capita income. In these ways, the 2008 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being enables and encourages the discovery of best practices in serving children's needs.
(October 2008 pages)
Haves and Have-Nots: A Look at Children's Use of Dental Care in California
California HealthCare Foundation
The burden of oral disease continues to fall more heavily on children from poor, minority households. And despite growing awareness of the life-long effects of poor oral care, nearly one quarter of California children have never been to a dentist, including half of all children under the age of five.
Using the most recent data available from the 2005 California Health Interview Survey, this snapshot found that uninsured children were least likely to have had a recent dental visit and most likely to have never visited the dentist. Denti-Cal beneficiaries were least likely to have ever seen the dentist compared to those with other types of insurance.
Part of the Foundation's new focus on oral health, the snapshot features suggestions for additional research and public health initiatives that could help underserved children get the dental care they need.
(February 2008, 19 pages)
The Impact of the Built Environment on Community Health
PolicyLink
Increased attention and activity have been generated about the importance of community design and development as influential factors in public health. Public health organizations have focused their energies on local land use planning. In parallel, urban planners and elected officials who shape the footprint of their cities and counties, as well as builders--both nonprofit community developers and private market-rate developers--are considering health issues as they create neighborhoods and revitalize others. The paper summarizes and advances an ongoing dialogue among some of the most prominent persons involved in land use and health. It is a result of 25 interviews, and an exhaustive review of documents and websites of a large number of organizations. Additionally, a convening--jointly organized by PolicyLink and The California Endowment--of 50 of California's leading researchers, advocates, trainers, and government officials in public health, city planning, and related fields provided insights into their experiences, priorities, and aspirations. It is part of an effort by TCE to build momentum for work concerning the built environment to integrate health considerations into planning and land use to yield improved health outcomes. The Impact of the Built Environment on Community Health provides both a framework for understanding the necessary elements for building a movement for policy change and better planning, as well as numerous illustrations of innovative practices and projects.
(August 2007, 90 pages)
Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006
U.S. Census Bureau
This report presents data on income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States based on information collected in the 2007 and earlier Annual Social and Economic Supplements (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Data presented in this report indicate the following: • Real median household income increased between 2005 and 2006 for the second consecutive year. • The poverty rate decreased between 2005 and 2006. • The number of people with health insurance coverage increased between 2005 and 2006, as did the number and the percentage of people without health insurance coverage.
(August 2007, 78 pages)
Death in the Golden State: Why Do Some Californians Live Longer?
Public Policy Institute of California
A black man in California can expect to live 68.6 years on average, which is far below the life expectancy of the average California white male, who can expect to live 75.5 years. Despite the impressive gains in American longevity over the past century, significant disparities in life expectancies such as this one persist across racial and ethnic groups in California. These racial and ethnic disparities reflect underlying differences in specific causes of death, which is the focus of this issue of California Counts. Understanding the causes of death that contribute to racial and ethnic differences in life expectancies can shed light on the underlying factors that drive inequalities in health and can inform state health officials trying to identify more effective avenues of prevention.
(August 2007, 28 pages)
From Policy to Action: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Centers for Health Care Strategies
Health care disparities can impose a tremendous burden on individuals and communities, and account for considerable costs to our society as a whole. This brief, drawing from efforts supported by The Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, outlines practical strategies to address documented gaps in care.
(August 2007, 11 pages)
Collection and Use of Race and Ethnicity Data for Quality Improvement
America's Health Insurance Plans
The issue brief on the 2006 AHIP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) survey highlights progress made by health insurance plans on collecting and using data on race, ethnicity, and primary language to help address disparities.
(2006, 17 pages)
Eliminating Health Disparities: Strengthening Data on Race, Ethnicity, and Primary Language in the US
National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics
Compelling evidence exists that differences in health status, access to care, and the provision of physical and mental health services are significantly related to race, ethnicity, primary language, geography, and various measures of socioeconomic position, such as educational status, income, wealth, and conditions in childhood. Efforts to improve health care and eliminate health disparities in the
(November 2005, 75 pages)
Health Coverage and the Uninsured Tutorial
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
This tutorial, by Diane Rowland of the Kaiser Family Foundation, has been updated and expanded to include the latest national and state-level data on insurance coverage rates. The tutorial also now includes current policy proposals for expanding coverage to the uninsured and criteria for evaluating the different proposals.
(January 2003, 19 pages)
Health Disparities & the Body Politic: A Series of International Symposia
Harvard School of Public Health
What we today term "health disparities" -- the consistent gap in physical and mental well-being between the most privileged members of society and the most socially and economically disadvantaged -- launched the modern public health movement in the nineteenth century. Yet only in the past two decades have governments begun to focus explicitly on the deep-rooted social determinants of health and disease. What are governments' responsibilities to reduce these disparities? Should they enact policies extending beyond health agencies to encompass economics, housing, transportation, education, and other sectors? How should national research agendas spotlight the causes of, and solutions to, stark differences in health within a country's population? What data should governments collect to more fully reveal health inequalities? How can these data be used to galvanize action? In the spring of 2005, the Working Group on Health Disparities at the Harvard School of Public Health held three international symposia addressing these timely issues. Featuring senior governmental public health leaders and academic researchers from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Western and Northern Europe, as well as
(2005, 68 pages)
Priorities for Access to Health
Transportation and Land Use Coalition
A report on progress toward improving transportation access to healthcare and healthy activities in Contra Costa County. This document provides up-to-date information on the successes and next steps for the TEACH Working Groups in Monument Corridor, Bay Point, and Pittsburg.
(March 2006, 23 pages)
Making Public Programs Work for Communities of Color: An Action Kit for Community Leaders
Families USA
The purpose of this Action Kit is to provide community leaders with the information, tools, and resources necessary to engage in health advocacy and improve the health and well-being of their communities. With an emphasis on the importance of public programs in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, this kit contains sections that provide: A summary of racial and ethnic health disparities and of the role that public programs can play in reducing them; An overview of Medicaid (and SCHIP) and Medicare, including their importance to communities of color, as well as emerging issues pertaining to these programs; Quick facts and statistics on disparities in health, health care, and access; Fact sheets on improving health coverage and access for African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Latinos; Case studies on health advocacy efforts at the state and local level, including examples from the faith-based community and grassroots organizations; Strategies and tools for influencing Congress, the White House, communities, and the media, as well as an advocate’s checklist on how to take action to improve minority health; A PowerPoint presentation for community leaders to use in talks and discussions about racial and ethnic health disparities and health policy; and Additional resources, including lists of organizations and publications that focus on minority health issues.
(2006, 136 pages)
Giving Voices to the Voiceless: Language Barriers & Health Access Issues of Black Immigrants of African Descent
The California Endowment
Immigrants of African descent in California have been systematically marginalized within the health care system. This report by the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc., takes an initial step toward identifying language and cultural issues that impede access to culturally competent health care for this population.
(March 2005, 75 pages)
Snapshot of California's Uninsured
California HealthCare Foundation
The growth of the uninsured population is a complex problem, driven by numerous economic and demographic forces. Fluctuation in employment, family income, racial diversity, and citizenship status each play a significant role, as do premium costs. This presentation examines California's uninsured through the lens of these factors to provide a snapshot of the elements that may be influencing the level of health coverage in the state.
(2004, 20 pages)
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum - Fact Sheet
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
An overview of demographics, health disparities, insurance coverage, and statistics on cultural and linguistic access to care for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
(March 2005, 2 pages)
California Black Health Network - Fact Sheet
California Black Health Network
An overview of demographics, health disparities, and insurance coverage for African Americans.
(March 2005, 2 pages)
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California - Fact Sheet
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
An overview of adult and child uninsurance rates, and statistics on cultural and linguistic access to care for Latinos.
(March 2005, 3 pages)
Health Care Reform Principles: A Multicultural Approach
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
These guiding principles represent the core areas of agreement among CPEHN's multicultural partners and the primary values of our organizations. These principles are used to evaluate various health care reform proposals to ensure that the needs of communities of color are met.
(1992, 3 pages)
Policy Implications of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Managed Care vs. Fee-for-Service Utilization Disparities in California
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
Funded by the California Program on Access to Care, this study examined the differences in utilization of services, cancer screenings, and chronic disease management among California's racial and ethnic groups in managed care compared with fee-for-service using 2001 CHIS data. You can also download the Executive Summary (4 pages).
(October 2004, 31 pages)
Health of California's Adults, Adolescents and Children: Findings from CHIS 2001
California Health Interview Survey
This report provides a summary from the statewide findings from 2001 California Health Interview Survey. Separate adult, adolescent and child findings are presented by gender, age, race/ethnicity, health insurance status and poverty level.
(May 2002, 108 pages)
State of Health Insurance in California: Long-Term and Intermittent Lack of Health Insurance Coverage
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
This report, based on data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2001), examines long-term and intermittent health insurance coverage, and the sources and consequences of resulting periods of uninsurance. A 6 page Executive Summary is also available.
(November 2003, 66 pages)
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