Minority Adults More Likely To Be Uninsured
Hispanic and black adults are more likely to lack health insurance than white adults, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund, CQ HealthBeat reports. The report, which analyzed data from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, finds that 62% of Hispanic adults ages 19 to 64 lacked health insurance at some point during 2005 and that about 33% of black adults in the same age group lacked coverage at some point during the same period.
According to the report, 20% of white adults ages 19 to 64 lacked health insurance at some point during 2005. The report also finds:
- 76% of Hispanic adults with annual incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level -- about $38,700 for a family of four -- lacked health insurance at some point during 2005, and 40% of Hispanic adults with higher annual incomes lacked coverage at some point during the same period;
- 44% of black adults with incomes less than 200% of the federal poverty level lacked health insurance at some point during 2005, and 23% of black adults with higher annual incomes lacked coverage at some point during the same period;
- 27% of uninsured Hispanic adults with health problems did not visit a physician within the previous year, compared with 17% of uninsured black and white adults with health problems;
- 31% of uninsured Hispanic adults were not confident in their ability to manage their health care problems, compared with 17% of uninsured black adults and 16% of uninsured white adults;
- 63% of black adults had one of four diseases -- hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or asthma -- and 35% visited the emergency department in the previous year for conditions that a primary care physician could have treated; and
- 61% of uninsured black adults had medical bill or debt problems, compared with 56% of uninsured white adults and 35% of uninsured Hispanic adults (Abruzzese, CQ HealthBeat, 8/1).