The authors call for a statewide task force to develop a plan to assure the availability of affordable health insurance for all state residents. The task force's recommendations would be due to the new governor and legislature by January 1, 2000. This is the third in a series of reports that provides comparisons to previous years' data and national data. Gary L. Yates, president and chief executive officer of The California Wellness Foundation, stressed the importance of this year's report. This report makes it very clear that the problem of access to health insurance is getting worse, with profound implications for the health of the state's residents.
Action is needed now.
We hope this report will provide policy makers with the information they need to craft effective solutions to one of California's most critical public policy challenges.