Access to health care among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., by: Gulnur Scott, M.P.A. Hanyu Ni, Ph.D. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics

Background Access to quality health care is one of the most important determinants of well-being of children Hispanic/Latinos are more likely to lack access to health care than persons of other racial and ethnic groups Few studies have provided national estimates of access to health care by ethnic subgroups of Hispanic/Latino children

Objectives To provide recent national estimates of access to health care for subgroups of Hispanic/Latino children To assess ethnic disparity in access to health care among Hispanic/Latino children

National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) Nationally representative sample Household interview The black and Hispanic/Latino populations are over-sampled Data Source:

Target population : Mexican, Mexican-American Central or South American Puerto Rican Cuban/Cuban American Dominican Republic Multiple Hispanic Other Latin or Spanish Hispanic/Latino children aged <18 years Ethnic subgroups

Measures of access to health care Health insurance coverage Usual source of health care Unmet medical needs

Health insurance coverage Lack of health insurance coverage: Not covered by any kind of health insurance or health care plan at the time of the interview Type of coverage Private Public Medicaid Medicare SCHIP

Usual source of care Is there a place that (Sample Child name) usually goes when (he/she) is sick or you need advice about (his/her) health? What kind of place does (Sample Child name) go to most often?

Medical care Prescription medication Eye glasses Dental care Mental health care or counseling Could not afford Unmet medical needs Delayed care because of cost

Statistical analysis N=14,284 (Hispanic/Latino children) Weighted to reflect national estimates SUDAAN software

Ethnic subgroups of Hispanic/Latino children : U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Weighted Percent Mexican Puerto Rican Cuban Central or South American Other Hispanic

Place of residence among Hispanic/Latino and NH white children : U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent

Lack of health insurance coverage among Hispanic/Latino children : U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Lack of health insurance coverage by age groups among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S.,

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Lack of health insurance coverage by poverty status among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Lack of health insurance coverage by poverty status among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S.,

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Lack of health insurance coverage by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Lack of health insurance coverage by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S.,

Public coverage among poor and near poor Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent

Having a usual source of care among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Having a usual source of care by poverty status among Hispanic/Latino children: U. S.,

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Having a usual source of care by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: Having a usual source of care by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: U. S.,

Usual source of care: U. S., Hispanic/LatinoNon-Hispanic white Dr. office Clinic or health care Emergency department Other Data Source: National Health Interview Survey

Place of routine or preventive care: U.S., Place of routine or preventive care: U.S., Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic white Dr. officeClinic or health careEmergency department Other Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Doesn’t get routine preventive care

Unmet medical needs among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent

Data Source: National Health Interview Survey Percent Mexican Puerto Cuban Central/ Other Hispanic NH white Rican South Hispanic American Unmet medical needs by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S., Unmet medical needs by nativity among Hispanic/Latino children: U.S.,

Length of time since last contact: U.S., Length of time since last contact: U.S., Hispanic/Latino Non-Hispanic white 6 months or lessNeverMore than 6 months More than 1 year Data Source: National Health Interview Survey

Summary Poor and near poor Hispanic/Latino children were more likely than poor and near poor NH white children to be covered by a public plan Among poor and near poor Hispanic/Latino children, Mexican children were least likely to be covered by a public plan

Summary – cont. Foreign-born Hispanic/Latino children were three times as likely as US-born Hispanic/Latino children to lack health insurance coverage Among the foreign-born ethnic subgroups, Mexican children were most likely to lack health insurance coverage

Summary – cont. Hispanic/Latino children were less likely than NH white children to have a usual place to go for medical care The percent of children who had a usual place to go for medical care was lowest among Mexican children

Summary – cont. The percent of children experiencing an unmet medical need due to cost was higher for foreign-born Hispanic/Latino children than for U.S.-born Hispanic/Latino children

Conclusion There is an ethnic disparity in access to health care among Hispanic/Latino children Mexican children were most likely to lack access to health care

Survey Planning and Development Branch For information please contact: