Many Hispanics In New York Don't Have Access To Affordable Health Insurance

Hispanics, males, those ages 18 to 24, and the employed make up most ofthe nearly one million adult residents in New York City who areuninsured, according to a report released on Wednesday by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, AP/Long Island Newsday (AP/Long Island Newsday,8/22). According to the report, one in four Hispanics lacked healthinsurance during 2005, compared with one in five Asians, one in sixblacks and one in 10 whites, according to the report (Reuters, 8/22).Health officials said 17% of the city's population of eight million isuninsured, compared with a rate of 16% nationally. Of those who wereuninsured in New York City, 700,000 were employed.

City healthofficials said they are uncertain why many working adults lack healthcoverage but noted the higher costs of health care and fewer companiesoffering insurance plans (AP/Long Island Newsday, 8/22)."All of this adds up to people landing in emergency rooms with costly,devastating health problems that could have been prevented or treated,"Thomas Frieden, the city's health commissioner, said, in a statement,adding, "This report tells us that hundreds of thousands of New Yorkersare missing out on routine screenings that could prevent illnesses andsave lives" (Reuters, 8/22).
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