Blacks and Hispanics w/o Health Insurance

The majority of Blacks and Hispanics who are uninsured, are more likely than one in four uninsured whites, to experience problems getting treatment at a hospital or clinic. A study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that minorities are more likely than whites to suffer higher rates of catastrophic illness and disease, and are less likely to obtain basic drugs, tests, preventive screenings and surgeries. They are more likely to recover slowly from illness, and die much younger. The cost of treatment and care for the millions who suffer chronic and major diseases—cancer, diabetes, asthma and heart disease--is exorbitant. Blacks and Hispanics have far greater incidences of these ailments than whites. According to a Kaiser Foundation study, a family of four without insurance currently would spend an estimated 15 percent of its total income on health insurance, if it had the money. Among race groups, Asian households had the highest median income in 2009. Real median income declined between 2008 and 2009 for non-Hispanic white and black households, while the changes for Asian and Hispanic-origin households were not statistically different.
Table C. People Without Health Insurance Coverage(SEPT. 16, 2010)
Race Percent
White 15.8%
Black 21.0%
Asian 17.6%
Hispan 30.7%
Other 10.8%