Health Insurance for the Hispanic | Latino Segment
As health insurance companies as well as government health insurance exchanges compete across the country for enrollment, multicultural and specifically the Hispanic audience is key. For some states, this segment represents a major client segment across the state (California, Texas, Florida), while in other areas it may be more focused on a specific area (Grand Rapids, Michigan).
How many Latinos get health insurance from a health insurance marketplace? According to KFF.org There were large coverage gains for groups of color under the affordable care act and one of the major beneficiaries was the Hispanic community. Coverage rates increased for all racial/ethnic groups between 2010 and 2016, with the largest increases occurring after implementation of the ACA Medicaid and Marketplace coverage expansions in 2014 (Figure 1). The Latino / Hispanic community saw the largest impact by decreasing the Hispanic uninsured rate from 32.6% to 19.1% between 2010 and 2016.
State run health insurance marketplaces consistently have multiple language options as well as initiatives to reach out to diverse communities. For the Hispanic community, especially in states with major Hispanic populations there are robust Hispanic focused advertising efforts in both English and Spanish languages.
Health Statistics for the Hispanic Community
Representing nearly 60 million people and over 18% of the U.S. population there is no doubt as to the importance of this group. While the population continues to grow for the Hispanic segment, the percentage increase due to immigration has declined (Pew Research: Key Facts about U.S. Hispanics). However, when looking at the Latino population of the U.S. as a whole there are some key attibutes noted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health that are important to consider.
- Top 10 States for Hispanic Population: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, Colorado, New Mexico and Georgia.
- Census Data 2017 shows that 72% of Hispanics speak a language other than English at home.
- Only 68% of Hispanics versus almost 93% of whites had a high school diploma
- Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group within the United States
- Key Health concerns in comparison to non-Hispanic whites: Obesity, Asthma (Puerto Ricans), Diabetes (Mexican Americans), as well as higher rates of HIV/AIDS and infant mortality.
Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group within the United States
While the political fight (Hispanic Voters Take Over) over the future of healthcare, government outreach and private insurance companies will continue to reach out to Hispanics.
Additional Resources:
Multicultural Healthcare Initiatives
Alcance Media Group – Multicultural Health Marketing | Hispanic Healthcare marketing