California reached a state record-setting 94 percent insured rate during 2020, according to a recent UCLA Center for Health Policy Research policy brief.
The percentage of insured Californians is the highest the state has seen since California Health Interview Survey started gauging healthcare coverage in 2001.
The brief noted that some Californians are still struggling to access healthcare services, especially among people of color.
While 88 percent of Black Californians are insured, 11 percent did not report having a usual place to seek care if they were sick. Since 2019, the percentage of Black Californians without healthcare access has risen 36 percent.
The pandemic also swayed access numbers, with 1 in 5 respondents who delayed care citing COVID-19 as the main reason. However, even amid the pandemic, healthcare costs and lack of insurance still remained predominant reasons Californians avoided receiving care.