| Health insurance provides both access to health care for the uninsured and a barrier to good health for 46 million uninsured citizens (DeNavas-Wait et al., 2008). Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be uninsured, causing disparities in health. Hispanics have disproportionally higher rates of uninsured than any ethnic or racial minority. This study investigated the reasons Hispanic adults are uninsured using the 2005, 2006, and 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. The three most often noted reasons cited by Hispanic adults ages 18 through 64 are: (a) the cost is too high, (b) the respondent is not eligible or their employer does not offer insurance and, (c) the respondent changed employers or lost her or his job. Cost is the primary reason given for all NHIS respondents. Gender, age, education, income, employer-offered insurance, nativity, and insurance status have been found to have a relationship with insurance coverage and are evaluated in uninsured Hispanic adult groups responding to each of the three predominant reasons for being uninsured. Some socio-demographic characteristics were common for all respondents: they are males of Mexican descent and many are not citizens although they have been in the U.S. for over five years. The respondents found within the first two predominant reasons (a and b) are in the lowest education and income groups. Respondents indicating they lost jobs or changed employers are older persons with higher education, higher income and a longer residence in the U.S. than the respondents within the other two primary reasons (a and b). |
