Understanding the health of Latinos is vital due to their significant contributions to America’s social and economic fabric. Latinos have the highest labor force participation rate and are driving increases in college enrollment, homeownership, and consumer spending. Those continued contributions to the nation’s socioeconomic vitality are dependent on a healthy Latino population. At the same time, the health of this vital population is often not as good as it should be, due to factors such as income, employment, the cost of health insurance and care, environmental issues, and policies that cut or reduce public resources for healthcare.
The Health Of Latinos And Health Insurance
The story of Latinos’ health is best understood through the lens of health care insurance, costs, and access for all Latinos. A 2024 report from the non-partisan Commonwealth Fund found that 55% of Latinos aged 19-64 are not adequately insured, compared to 42% of the non-Latino population. The highlighted that Latinos are either uninsured (16%), have gaps in coverage (18%), or have insurance with out-of-pocket expenses that make it virtually unusable (21%).
The report also found that due to care costs, 52% of working-age Latinos faced difficulties accessing health care, including not being able to fill a prescription (28%), skipping tests, treatment, or follow-up care (37%), not visiting a doctor (39%), or forgoing necessary specialty care (33%).
One Latina, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her identity, said in an interview, “I work long hours, I am tired, do not feel good, and cannot afford to go to the doctor. I need to work, my family needs the money, and I just live with feeling sick a lot. I can’t afford to be sick or to even find out why I am sick.”
The Health Of Latinos And Income
Income, environment, and occupation are key factors that significantly influence health. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos have the lowest per capita income among major racial and ethnic groups. Per capita income provides a snapshot of individual economic well-being and overall economic conditions. Being healthy is costly, accessing healthcare is costly, prevention and treatment for health are expensive, and for far too many Latinos, these are expenses they cannot afford. During a community conversation, a Latino who wished to remain anonymous to protect his identity said, “I have a hard time paying the rent, I cannot afford luxuries like going to the doctor because I do not feel well.”
Latino Health And The Environment
According to the American Heart Association, immigrant Latinos are healthier than Latinos born in the United States. Since most Latinos are native-born, their health status is generally poorer compared to non-Latino populations and immigrant groups. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 12% of Latino adults have diabetes, which is 41% higher than among white adults.
The American Lung Association states that while Latinos have the lowest rates of cigarette smoking among racial and ethnic groups, their living, working, and childhood environments pose disproportionate risks to their lung health. The United States Environmental Protection Agency found that regardless of geographic region or income, exposure to air pollution is higher among people of color, including Latinos. The study’s lead author, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Christopher Tessum says, “Some assume that when there is a systematic racial-ethnic disparity, such as the one we see here, that the underlying cause is a difference in income. Because the data shows that the racial disparities hold for all income levels, our study reinforces previous findings that race/ethnicity, independently of income, drives air pollution-exposure disparities.”
During a community forum, a Latina mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her privacy, said she was concerned about where her children play and the bad smells in her neighborhood, saying, “The playground near our house is dirty and dusty and only a block away from a factory. Sometimes, when we are sitting outside, the smell from the factory makes it hard to breathe, and you feel sick.” She added that she and others have complained, but nothing has been done, and she wonders, “Am I making me and my kids sick by where I live?”
Latino Health And Jobs
A disproportionate number and percentage of Latinos work in physically demanding jobs that place excessive stress on their bodies. These jobs, whether indoors or outdoors, expose workers to toxic substances and pollution. Occupational risks for death, disability, and disease are common among Latinos. For example, a recent report from the AFL-CIO shows that Latino workers are more likely to die on the job than other groups. Additionally, the number of Latinos dying on the job has increased by 44% since 2003. Furthermore, anywhere from 5 to 9% of working Latinos are exposed to substances such as metals, solvents, and pesticides, which contribute to overall health declines.
Special Consideration Should Be Paid To The Maternal Health of Latinas
In addition to understanding the broad health care issues facing Latinos, Dr. Melissa Simon, a Professor and the Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University, highlights why significant attention should be paid to the maternal health and welfare of Latinas. “While the data show that maternal mortality rates are decreasing for Latinas, the real crisis for Latina maternal health is the Medicaid cuts. Medicaid covers about 6 out of 10 births to Hispanic women. With mounting social, economic, and immigration pressures on Latinas, combined with care cuts, these maternal mortality rates are likely to rise. Given the declining fertility replacement ratio in the U.S., which reflects the country’s health, and considering that Latinas make up about 25-26% of all births in the U.S., the Trump administration and each of us should be concerned about the likely further harmful impact of Medicaid cuts on prenatal care for all women, especially Latinas, since these cuts are likely to lower the fertility replacement ratio further rather than improve it.”
Next Steps
Elected officials and all of us must recognize that health policies need to address access to and affordability of healthcare, as both are essential for the nation’s well-being. Moreover, daily living conditions, such as economic, environmental, or occupational hazards, should be incorporated into the development of health policies. Additionally, all health policies should be assessed with particular attention to their impacts on Latinos. This focus on the Latino community is justified because of the significant disparities they face in access to healthcare and health outcomes, as well as their vital contributions to population growth and the economy.