Posts tagged health insurance

Profile: The Rise of Mexican-Origin Hispanics in the U.S.

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3 weeks ago
by admin in

mexico chartThe Mexican-origin population in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past four decades—from less than 1 million in 1970 to 33.7 million in 2012—a result of one of the largest mass migrations in modern history, according to a new report by Pew Hispanic Center.

Of these 33.7 million, about 11.4 million are immigrants born in Mexico.

Compared with 1990, Mexican immigrants in 2011 were less likely to be male, considerably older, and better educated, according to the Pew report.

Other interesting tidbits include:

  • Language: 66% of Mexican-origin Hispanics ages 5 and older speak English proficiently.
  • Age: Mexican-origin Hispanics are younger (median age of 25) than both the U.S. population (37) and Hispanics overall (27).
  • Education: Mexicans have lower levels of education than the Hispanic population overall.
  • Health insurance: Fewer Mexicans than all Hispanics have health insurance (33% vs. 30%).
  • Poverty: More Mexicans live in poverty (27%) than Hispanics overall (25%).

Read more here.

Hispanic Health Issues at a Glance

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2 years ago
by admin in
Fact Sheet: Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Fact Sheet: Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Center for American Progress’ new fact sheet, Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity, spells out health issues facing the nation’s minority groups.

Hispanic health care coverage statistics include:

  • 68% of Hispanics had health insurance coverage in 2009 compared to 88% of whites.
  • 35% of nonelderly uninsured Hispanics report having chronic health conditions.
  • Close to a third of Hispanics lack a usual source of health care and 46% of uninsured Hispanics who report having chronic health conditions lack regular care.

Hispanic chronic health conditions include:

  • 10% of Hispanics of all ages report they are in fair or poor health.
  • About 40% of Latinos age 20 and older were obese in 2008.
  • 14% of Hispanics have been diagnosed with diabetes compared with 8% of whites.
  • Hispanic women contract cervical cancer at twice the rate of white women.
  • One in five Hispanics report not seeking medical care due to language barriers.

For more, see the fact sheet.

Latinos Have Less Access to Health Care, Even After New Changes

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2 years ago
by admin in

While millions of Americans of all backgrounds face the problem of being unable to access care because of a lack of insurance or inadequate coverage, Latinos are far more likely than people in other racial and ethnic groups to be unable to afford or get care when they need it, Newsweek reports.

Government agencies and public health officials are joining the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in highlighting ways in which the Affordable Care Act will make health insurance more accessible and affordable to the nine million Latinos that will be eligible to receive health coverage under the new public health law. With one in three Latinos lacking health insurance coverage, Latino families have suffered more than any other ethnic group due to lack of coverage and inadequate care.

However, the 8 percent of U.S. residents that the Congressional Budget Office estimates will remain uninsured once health reform is implemented will still be disproportionately Latino.

Access-to-care issues thus must remain a priority for policy-makers and health researchers.

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