Many Latinas Lack Health Insurance, Study Finds

A third of California’s Latinas--and up to 39% in Los Angeles County--lack health insurance, leading fewer of them to seek preventive health care and contributing to sometimes lethal consequences, according to a state study released Wednesday.

The report by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California also found that among ethnic groups of women, Latinas were by far the least likely to have insurance. In all, nearly 1.5 million lack either public or private coverage.

“This kind of injustice has to cease--[the state’s] 5 million Latinas demand it,” said state Sen. Hilda Solis (D-El Monte).

Although most of the data in the 62-page report have previously been available, their compilation is designed as a platform for legislation planned by a group of mostly Latino lawmakers.

The effort is being led by state Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Commerce), the new chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

“Let’s get to work,” Escutia said at the end of an afternoon hearing. Among the survey results discussed were:

* Cervical cancer rates for Latinas older than 65 are the highest of any ethnic group and more than three times that of white women (21.2 per 10,000 compared with 6.7 per 10,000).

* Latinas are having more children than any other group but are the least likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester--68% of Latinas compared with 73% of African American women, 79% of Asian Americans and 85% of whites.

* The rate of death from diabetes for Latinas older than 65 is nearly twice as high as the statewide figure (14.8 per 10,000 Latinas as compared with 8.9 per 10,000 among all women), but still lower than for African American women.

* Although Latinas are less likely to have breast cancer than other women, their cancers are far more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage. Nearly a quarter of Latinas in California older than 50 have never had a mammogram.

The reasons for lacking insurance, the study reported, include high poverty and unemployment rates among Latinas coupled with the fact that those who are employed tend to work in manufacturing and agriculture--businesses least likely to provide health insurance to their low-level workers.

Often, those who testified reported, it comes down to: “Why should I waste money on insurance when I’m healthy now?”

Added to the financial barriers to private health care is an aversion among Latinas to public health programs, the study’s authors said, evolving from cultural pride and, for those who are in the state illegally, fear of deportation.

On the positive side, the study found that, overall, Latinas tend to be healthier than other women, with the highest average life expectancy: 84 years.

But experts who testified at Wednesday’s hearing cautioned that there are signs that such longevity may not last as the large number of younger California Latinas age. The current median age for Latinas is 25 years, compared with 41 years for white women.

Solving the problem will prove complex, legislators said Wednesday, because Latinas’ access to health care is blocked not just by inadequate insurance but also by cultural considerations such as the Catholic Church’s ban on contraception.

A health advocate from Stanislaus County drew gasps from Escutia and Sen. Liz Figueroa (D-Fremont) when she said a popular state-funded family planning program will only provide obstetrical care to women who take birth control. “Oh, that’s ridiculous,” Figueroa said.

Targets of possible legislation discussed Wednesday include expanding the publicly funded Healthy Families program to provide health care for mothers as well as children, and creating incentives for businesses to offer health insurance, including tax breaks.

“We need to . . . make people realize that if they provide health care, they’ll have happier, healthier workers and less absenteeism,” Escutia said.

Among other legislative initiatives advocated Wednesday was additional research on illness rates, which would give the state a sense of future health trends.

The high cervical cancer rates were cited as an indicator of how inadequate health care may contribute to a decline in Latina health.

“Cervical cancer is 100% preventable,” said Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, a member of the Latina Health Leadership Council. “So each case of cervical cancer points to the failure of the health care system.”

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Limited Latina Health Insurance

The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California released a report Wednesday indicating that a third of Latinas lack health insurance. Below are some of the results.

Female health insurance in California

Latina insurance coverage in California

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Note: The data were compiled from sources including the 1990 U.S. Census and 1997 state population projections. Data from the 10 California counties that contain 80% of California’s Latina population--including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Ventura--also were examined.

Source: Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, January 1999