University of Houston Survey on Uninsured First Step in Addressing Problem, Editorial Says

Although medical advances offer "comfort and hope" for patients with "excellent health insurance," many Texas residents do not have health coverage and find that "even basic health care is beyond their reach," according to a Houston Chronicle editorial. The editorial cites a recent University of Houston Center for Public Policy survey on health insurance in Texas (Houston Chronicle, 7/16). The survey found that 77% of Texas residents have health coverage, compared to a national average of 82%. In addition, the survey found that 57% of Hispanics in Texas have health insurance, compared to 88% of white residents and 77% of black residents (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/16). According to the editorial, many survey respondents without health insurance reported that they receive "unsatisfactory health care" -- often at a high cost -- or "simply go without care." The editorial adds that individuals with untreated illnesses who not do not have health insurance often receive care in hospital emergency rooms, where taxpayers must cover the cost. The editorial concludes, "Texas, as elsewhere in America, faces a crisis in medical care for the poor and uninsured. While the UH survey findings do not reveal any means to increase health care access for Hispanics and other Texans, they do help define the issues, which is a first step toward addressing them" (Houston Chronicle, 7/17).