Unequal access: insurance instability among low-income workers and minorities.
Analysis of health insurance coverage and employment patterns from 1996 through 1999 reveals even higher uninsured rates and greater insurance instability among low-income adults and minorities than had been previously documented. Most low-income adults worked during the four years, but many had no or only intermittent job-based coverage. Low-income Hispanic adults were particularly hard hit: more than one-third (37%) of this group were never insured with private coverage, even though they worked all four years. Policies that expand coverage to low-income families could help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in access to care.
Doty
Michelle M
MM
The Commonwealth Fund, USA. mmd@cmwf.org
Holmgren
Alyssa L
AL
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American