Number of Uninsured Hispanics in United States Rose to 11.2 Million Over Last Decade, Report Finds

The number of uninsured Hispanics in the United States has increased from seven million to 11.2 million over the last 10 years, according to a Commonwealth Fund report, the Florida Times-Union reports. Releasing the report at an Oct. 1 symposium in Atlanta, the research group also said that 40% of Hispanic adults between the ages of 19 and 64 and 27% of those age 18 and under were not insured in 2000 (Williams, Florida Times-Union, 10/2). The report follows a U.S. Census Bureau report that found the number of all uninsured people living in the United States increased by 1.4 million in 2001, to 41.2 million, or 14.6% of the total population, compared to 39.8 million, or 14.2%, in 2000. The report attributed the decline in health coverage to several factors, including a jump in unemployment, inflated health-related costs and an increasing number of states for which the cost of public insurance programs, such as Medicaid and CHIP, is causing budget deficits (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/30). In order to accommodate the weakened economy, more employers are cutting health coverage for workers, the Census Bureau said. The increasing lack of employer-based insurance is affecting the Hispanic population more than other groups because a large number of Hispanics have jobs that do not offer insurance, according to Commonwealth Fund senior analyst Michelle McEvoy Doty. She said, "It's not because the (Hispanic) uninsured are not working. But we have a low rate of employer coverage." Anne Beal, a senior program officer for the group, said language was also a barrier for some Hispanics, as those who primarily speak Spanish are the least likely group to receive quality care because they are "the least likely to see a doctor regularly," according to the Times-Union. "There's a difference in the types of places people can go to access health care when they don't have insurance," Beal said. Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor (D) said at the symposium, "Coming to America, if health insurance is your goal, you're not coming to the right place" (Florida Times-Union, 10/2).