Health Care Coverage Varies Widely Among Asian American and Pacific Islander Children.

LOS ANGELES -- While six in ten Asian American and Pacific Islander children in California have employer-based health insurance, and more than 90 percent have health insurance year-round, coverage levels vary widely across AAPI ethnic groups, according to a study by The California Endowment and California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Coinciding with the release of today's study, Assembly Member Judy Chu and community leaders met today at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) to discuss the issue of providing health coverage for California's children.

"The relatively high rate of employment-based insurance coverage among Asian American and Pacific Islander children overall masks a considerable variation in coverage across AAPI ethnic groups," said Karin Wang, executive vice president of APALC. "Access to affordable coverage is essential for children to be healthy and to succeed in school and in life."

For example, despite their low rate of employment-based insurance coverage, Vietnamese children have a high rate of coverage through public insurance programs, such as Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. However, Korean children, who also have a very low rate of employment-based insurance coverage, have half the rate of public coverage enrollment and, consequently, twice the rate of uninsurance, Wang said.

Based on data from the most recent California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2003), the study showed Korean and Vietnamese children had the lowest rates of continuous employment-based coverage, at 40.5 percent and 42.6 percent, respectively. In comparison, 71.9 percent of Filipino children had job-based coverage and 62.7 percent of AAPI children overall had job-based coverage.

However, when it came to tracking AAPI children covered by Medi-Cal or Healthy Families insurance, the study found that Vietnamese children had the highest rates of coverage by these public programs, at 42.1 percent, but that Korean children did not have the same high rate of enrollment in public programs. With only 16.7 percent in Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, one in four Korean children lacked any public or private coverage all or part of the year.

According to the survey, nearly 60 percent of AAPI children who were uninsured for all or part of the year live in families with at least one full-time employee. Less than one-third are in non-working families. The rest have at least one parent who worked part-time or is self-employed.

"There are approximately 800,000 uninsured kids in California who do not have regular access to health care services when they need it. We must have the will to take the necessary steps to provide health coverage to all kids, including AAPI children," said Paul Hernandez, manager of public affairs, The California Endowment, who called upon policy makers, businesses and parents to help uninsured children get the health insurance coverage that has been out of their reach. "This is a goal that is achievable, makes fiscal sense, and is the right thing to do."

Cover California's Kids is a public education campaign supported by health care providers, business groups, teachers, parents, faith-based organizations, labor, and children's advocates and funded by The California Endowment. Check www.covercaliforniaskids.org for more information.