Health insurance coverage among Hispanics

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, a very large number of Hispanics, particular foreign-born are uninsured for healthcare. A new demographic and economic profile of Latinos, based on 2008 census data, finds they are twice as likely as the overall U.S. population to lack health insurance coverage. Among foreign-born Hispanics, the uninsured rate climbs to 50%. In another report of the Center, it reports a 60% uninsured rate among Hispanics who are neither citizens of legal permanent residents.
This suggests that the entire uninsured population in the U.S. has a large share, some 30% or more, which is Hispanic. To me this means that the Obama health care reform is going to impact Hispanics much more than Whites or Blacks- but with a big caveat: the act does not cover illegal immigrants, who will continue to rely on free care.
The report says:
A question on health insurance coverage was asked in the 2008 American Community Survey for the first time in 2008. The uninsured rate estimated from the ACS reflects the share of the population that lacked public or private health insurance coverage at the time of the survey. The ACS is conducted each month of the year and the resulting estimate is an annual average for 2008.
Among racial and ethnic groups, Hispanics are the least likely to have health insurance. Nationally, the uninsured rate among Hispanics was 31.7% in 2008. The rate among whites—10.7%—is the lowest of any group and the rate for blacks—19.0%—lies in between. Nativity also matters—12.9% of all native born are uninsured but the rate climbs to 32.9% for the foreign born. The uninsured rate for non-citizens was 46.4% in 2008.
In California, the uninsured rates are as follows:
Hispanics, 29%
Native-Born Hispanics, 18%
Foreign-Born Hispanics, 45%
Non-Hispanic Whites, 10%
Non-Hispanic Blacks, 17%
Hispanics 17 and Younger. 15%
Non-Hispanic Whites 17 and Younger, 6%
Non-Hispanic Blacks 17 and Younger, 9%

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