Hispanic and African American adults are uninsured at rates 1 1/2 to three times higher t...( g needed care. More than one-fourth (27...),Health

Hispanics are also least confident about being able to self-manage chronic diseases or health problems. Thirty-one percent of uninsured Hispanic adults with health problems said they were not too or not at all confident about managing health problems, compared to 16 percent of African American adults and 17 percent of white adults with health problems.

African American adults have higher rates of health problems among both lower and higher income groups. Sixty-three percent of African American adults under 200% of poverty reported they had one of four chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or asthma) or a disability, compared to half of low-income whites and 39 percent of low-income Hispanic adults. Forty-five percent of African American adults over 200% of poverty report health problems, compared to 32 percent of whites and 23 percent of Hispanics in the higher income group.

Sixty-one percent of African American adults who were uninsured during the year reported medical bill or debt problems, compared to 56% of uninsured white adults and 35% of uninsured Hispanic adults.

Other key findings include:

• About one-third (36%) of African American adults visited an emergency room for a condition that could have been treated by a regular doctor if one had been available, compared to 19% of Hispanics and 19% of whites.

• Just three-quarters of Hispanic adults had their blood pressure checked in the past year, compared to 94 % of African American adults and 90% of white adults.

• Half (51%) of Hispanic adults had a dental exam in the past year, compared to 60% of African American adults and 65% of white adults.

The authors conclude that "insurance plays an important role in
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Contact: Mary Mahon
mm@cmwf.org
212-606-3853
Commonwealth Fund
1-Aug-2006