As a group, parents are more likely than non-parents to have employment-based health insurance. Nationwide, in 1999, 73.1% of parents (adults with children under age 19 at home) had employment-based health insurance, compared to only 63.3% of non-parents (adults with no children under age 19 at home). The differential in California was similar but slightly smaller: 64.5% of parents had employer coverage, compared to 57.5% of non-parents.

This difference in the prevalence of employer coverage held true both nationally and in California at all income levels above poverty. Similarly, both national and California data show that, above 133% FPG, parents were less likely than non-parents to be uninsured, although the differences were small above 400% FPG.