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Women Business Owners Newsletter

Survey reveals significant differences in perceptions regarding health insurance among insured and uninsured women business owners

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Decisions made by women business owners may affect access to health insurance and health care for millions of Californians and their families. California is home to more women-owned businesses than any other state in the country with approximately 1.2 million women business owners statewide who employ 2.8 million people.

A survey, commissioned jointly by Blue Cross of California (Blue Cross) and the National Association of Women Business Owners California (NAWBO-CA), reveals significant differences in perceptions related to health insurance between those women business owners currently offering insurance and those who do not:

1. Of the uninsured participants, 50 percent said "affordability" is the key barrier to health care coverage.
2. Uninsured women business owners placed less importance on securing health insurance for their employees than insured women business owners (50 and 83 percent say "very important" respectively).
3. Insured women business owners reported health insurance as "very important" when trying to attract and retain employees than the uninsured (77 and 47 percent respectively).
4. Seventy-eight percent of the insured women business owners reported they currently contribute over 50 percent of each employee's health insurance costs-of that population, 50 percent pay for the entire premium. Twenty-eight percent of uninsured women business owners reported they would consider contributing over 50 percent of each employee's health insurance costs.
5. Seventy-eight percent of women business owners consider independent agents and brokers to be a primary source for information about health insurance.

National studies indicate that lack of health insurance reduces access to preventive care and ultimately leads to poorer health outcomes. Information obtained through the survey is intended to better understand women business owners' perceptions related to health care coverage.

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