The health insurance status of US Latino women: A profile from the 1982-1984 HHANES

Objectives. This research studied the correlates of health insurance status among three major subpopulations (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban) of adult (ages of 20 to 64) Latino women. Methods. Data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), 1982-1984, were examined to determine the percentages of health insurance coverage among the sample populations and to assess the relationship between access to coverage and selected sociodemographic, employment/income, ancestry, and acculturation variables. Results. Variations in health insurance coverage existed by Latina subpopulation. While Puerto Rican women had the highest percentage of any health insurance coverage, Mexican-origin women(particularly those 50 to 64 years old) had the lowest. For all three Latina groups, health insurance coverage was greater among those who reported a family income above the poverty level than among those whose income fell below the poverty level; employment location, acculturation variables, and ancestry were also related to coverage. Conclusions. Eligibility requirements, particularly for Mexican- and Cuban-origin women, need to be streamlined, and innovative health insurance programs need to be developed to increase access of Latinas to health insurance.