According to a new study released by the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, male Latino millenials account for the highest proportion of uninsured Americans in the United States. The report found that 28 percent of adult males between the ages of 19 and 24 are uninsured, 43 percent of this uninsured demographic identified as Latino.
Improving access to affordable healthcare remains a top priority for the Department of Health and Human Services. The department recognizes that “the health status of racial and ethnic minority men still lags behind the general population. Increasing insurance coverage of minority males is critical to their ability to access health care systems, reduce preventable illnesses and improve their health outcomes.”
Despite the strides made to increase insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the report attributed disparities in healthcare coverage to a number of socioeconomic factors. An overwhelming majority of surveyed Latino males did not have a high school diploma. Furthermore, 24 percent of Latinos reported living in a “limited English proficient” household.
The findings of this report, while alarming, are an important point of departure to ensure that every American has access to affordable healthcare. The department noted that, “this type of data and knowledge about uninsured minority males can help inform targeted interventions and outreach efforts to improve enrollment opportunities for minority men in health insurance coverage, including the open enrollment periods for the Health Insurance Marketplace.”
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