L.A. lags state in health coverage

Badly. Nearly 30 percent of county residents lacked health insurance for at least a portion of 2009, according to a study by UCLA's Center for Health Policy Research. That's 2.7 million non-elderly adults and children. By contrast, Santa Clara was at 19.5 percent; OC 23.3 percent, SF 17.2 percent, and Fresno 24.4 percent. The statewide average was a little over 24 percent. Perhaps more notable is L.A.'s low percentage of job-based coverage: 43.3 percent. In Contra Costa, it's 62.4 percent. Of course, the comparison is not all that valid - L.A.'s economy is diversified, unwieldy, and largely non-corporate. Many transactions are in cash, and employment is often lacking in benefits. That doesn't excuse the troubling numbers, but it does offer a little context.