Californians living in the Bay Area are more likely to lack health insurance than people in other parts of the state. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2007, 6.5 million Californians lacked health insurance coverage.

Some point to unemployment for the large number of people lacking health insurance. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research director Shana Alex Lavarreda told the San Francisco Chronicle that smaller counties tend to offer more seasonal employment options.

"In rural, smaller counties, you just don't have large, stable job-based coverage pools like you do in the large counties with much larger employers," she told the paper.

Other research has pointed to a variety of factors such as income and education level that also affect the likelihood of someone having health insurance.

Under health care reform, all citizens will be required to obtain health insurance, which should greatly decrease the number of people lacking coverage. In Massachusetts, where health insurance is required, only 7.8 percent of people under the age of 65 didn't have insurance in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Having an interpreter present in the emergency room may do more than help make patients feel at ease. Research printed in the Annals of Emergency Medicine shows that patients who had in-person interpreters were four times more likely to be satisfied with their emergency room visit than those who didn't.

The researchers found that patients and physicians alike reported that the overall care experience was higher and more satisfying when a trained professional emergency room interpreter was used. At hospitals where there isn't a professional interpreter, a family member or other hospital staff are typically relied on for communication assistance.

"The results were the same for physicians and nurses, which could be important for reducing staff burnout and errors," says study author Ann Bagchi. "The improved quality of care can also reduce the likelihood that a patient will return to the ER for the same health problem."

Such findings may be helpful when determining staffing as a large number of patients stand to benefit from the potential of decreased wait times. Data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that an average of 227 people visited the emergency room every minute in 2006.

Kansas residents with pre-existing medical conditions can now start submitting applications for the temporary high-risk pool. The state has decided to operate the insurance pool, rather than have the federal government administer it.

To be eligible for the temporary high-risk pool, candidates must have been without health insurance for at least six months. People who are accepted into the pool can begin receiving coverage as early as September 1.

The Associated Press reports Linda Sheppard of the Kansas Insurance Commission says that the rates offered through the health insurance pool will be competitive.

"They'll look at what's charged in a market from competing companies and use those same rates," Sheppard said. "There is an allowance to adjust rates based on tobacco use, geographic location and age. The rates are fairly simple, but exactly what their rate is will be based on where a person lives. It's based on ZIP code."

Beginning in 2014, health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny people coverage because of a pre-existing condition. At that time, people will be able to obtain coverage through other insurance providers.

Many Medicare recipients are happy with the coverage the plan offers, according to survey data released by Extend Health.

The survey of over 500 retirees found that 85 percent are either "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with Medicare. One of the top reasons retirees said they are satisfied with the plan is that they experience fewer billing and payment issues than they did with other forms of health coverage.

"Retirees on Medicare have long been among the most satisfied of all Americans with their health insurance coverage, and after 45 years of Medicare, we now know that two-thirds of retirees like Medicare as much or more than the group plans provided by their former employers," said Extend Health CEO Bryce Williams. "This is important information as large employers consider how best to honor their commitments to retirees for health benefits."

As of 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there were 37.9 million people in the United States over the age of 65, the age at which a large number of people aim to retire and receive Medicare coverage.

Confusion about healthcare reform still abounds for many, a Health Day/Harris Poll found.

Over 60 percent of the 2,100 polled were unaware that the new healthcare laws will increase the number of people who qualify for Medicaid. Just under three-quarters of those polled didn't know that there will be a new tax placed on medical devices.

Some believe that the widespread misunderstanding of healthcare reform stems from the fact that the system is confusing to begin with.

"The problem for the (Obama) administration is healthcare reform is fiendishly complicated because the healthcare system is fiendishly complicated, and it is not politically feasible to tear up the system and build it again," says Harris Poll chairman Humphrey Taylor. "Instead you have to build on the system that you have. When you try to build on a fiendishly complicated system, you have fiendishly complicated reforms."

On a positive note, nearly 60 percent reported knowing that private insurance companies will no longer be able to deny them coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

Currently, people with a pre-existing illness can get coverage through either a state or government-sponsored program if they've been uninsured for at least six months until 2014.