The U.S. healthcare system is not great for anyone but the wealthiest people in the country. The average American spends $12,555 on health care annually—twice that of their counterparts in other industrialized countries—while also experiencing inferior outcomes like a shorter lifespan and worse quality of life. Nevertheless, U.S. Latinos are subjected to some of the worst health care disparities of any racial or ethnic group in the country.
Let’s start with health care access. A full 34% of Latinos don’t have access to a physician. This compares to 18% of Blacks and 16% of non-Hispanic whites. As a result, we have higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS than our counterparts in other communities.
Meanwhile, only 50% of Latinos reported having private health care insurance. Once more, this compares very poorly with 74% of non-Hispanic whites who do have health care insurance.
Many surveyed hospitals reported not having health care materials translated into Spanish or on-staff Spanish translators. It therefore comes as no surprise that half of Latinos reported having negative health care experiences within the last year.
53% of Latinos work in jobs that put them at risk of health care problems—a significantly higher indicator than that experienced by other groups. We are much more likely to be exposed to dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, extreme heat, heavy machinery, and other unsafe working conditions. At the very least, we deserve fair access to and treatment in the national health care system when we are injured, become sick, or are otherwise incapacitated.
