title: Latino Population Growth and Hospital Uncompensated Care in California.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the association between the size and growth of Latino populations and hospitals' uncompensated care in California.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our sample consisted of general acute care hospitals in California operating during 2000 and 2010 (n = 251). We merged California hospital data with US Census data for each hospital service area. We used spatial analysis, multivariate regression, and fixed-effect models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant association between the growth of California's Latino population and hospitals' uncompensated care in the unadjusted regression. This association was still significant after we controlled for hospital and community population characteristics. After we added market characteristics into the final model, this relationship became nonsignificant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that systematic support is needed in areas with rapid Latino population growth to control hospitals' uncompensated care, especially if Latinos are excluded from or do not respond to the insurance options made available through the Affordable Care Act. Improving availability of resources for hospitals and providers in areas with high Latino population growth could help alleviate financial pressures.
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mennis
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alos
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Dylan H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Roby
authors.affiliation: Jie Chen is with the Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park. Matthew J. O'Brien is with the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics and the Center for Community Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Jeremy Mennis is with the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. Victor A. Alos is with Puentes de Salud, Philadelphia, PA. David T. Grande is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega are with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Alexander N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Ortega
mesh_terms: D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D011158:Population Growth; D017664:Uncompensated Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*