Yesterday I shared data from a recent report that shows 1 in 5 people with full-time work are without health insurance in Nevada. That’s basically the same breakdown of the overall number of people uninsured in Nevada, which is about 22 percent. That’s the second highest uninsured rate in the nation after Texas. However, the picture gets much more grim when we focus in on the Hispanic demographic.
More than 1 in 3 Hispanics (36%) are not covered by health insurance in Nevada.
We also have the second highest rate of uninsured African Americans in the country (29%). These numbers are important, because not having health insurance has many negative effects on the general well-being of people. From the report:
“The report indicates that lack of insurance often compromises the health of uninsured persons because they are less likely to receive preventive care resulting in hospitalizations for avoidable health problems, and subsequently more likely to be diagnosed in the late stages of disease. In addition, more than a quarter of uninsured adults do not fill prescriptions or follow through on recommended services due to cost. This can affect a person socially when
health needs such as dental care go untreated, potentially impacting one’s ability to obtain employment or consume food.
The absence of health coverage also has financial implications. Most uninsured persons do not receive services at reduced or free rates and often must pay prior to services being rendered. Moreover, since many of the uninsured also have low incomes, they are three times more likely than persons with higher incomes to struggle with paying for basic monthly expenses like food, rent, and utilities.”
According to Kaiser Health, Hispanics are half as likely as whites to have health insurance coverage nationally. The Affordable Care Act will go a long way to reducing this number:
“Because many uninsured Hispanics are in low-income working families, nearly all would be in the income range to qualify for the Medicaid expansion or premium tax credits.
Over half (57%) of uninsured Hispanics have income below the new Medicaid limit and an additional 38 percent are in the income range for tax subsidies to help purchase coverage through exchange marketplaces.”