Older California women without spouses are more than twice as likely as married women to be uninsured, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Payers & Providers reports.
Researchers used data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey to examine coverage rates among women ages 50 through 64. For women in this age group, the study found that:
- 25% of women who had never been married lacked coverage; and
- 21% of women who had been divorced, separated or widowed were uninsured.
In comparison, the report noted that 10% of older married women lacked coverage.
Researchers also identified racial disparities in coverage among women in this age group. In comparison with older white women, the study found that:
- African-American women were 80% more likely to lack health insurance;
- Asian-American women were twice as likely to be uninsured; and
- Hispanic women were three times more likely to lack coverage (Payers & Providers, 2/25).