| Zusammenfassung: | Between September and November 1998, California HealthCare Foundation commissioned a survey from the Field Research Corporation to gain insight into the reasons that some people purchase individual (nongroup) health insurance while others remain uninsured. This study compares a sample from each group -- uninsured and individually insured -- meeting the same minimum household income definition of at least 200 percent above the federal poverty level. Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,009 nonpoor uninsured individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 regarding current utilization of and expenditures for medical care, satisfaction with current sources of care, attitudes toward health insurance, perception of the cost of health insurance, willingness to pay, experiences with health insurance, and reasons for not purchasing health insurance. Interviews were also conducted with 802 individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 who had purchased individual (nongroup) health insurance. The questionnaire for the insured group was identical to the questionnaire for the uninsured group, with two exceptions: it did not include perceptions of the cost of health insurance or willingness to pay, and added questions regarding type and cost of health insurance purchased. In all, 1,811 interviews were conducted: 1,782 in English and 29 in Spanish. Demographic variables for both groups include age, gender, employment, and education.
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