THE HEALTH-INSURANCE STATUS OF US LATINO WOMEN - A PROFILE FROM THE 1982-1984 HHANES

Objectives. This research studied the correlates of health insurance s tatus among three major subpopulations (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cub an) of adult (ages of 20 to 64) Latino women. Methods. Data from the H ispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), 1982-1984, w ere examined to determine the percentages of health insurance coverage among the sample populations and to assess the relationship between a ccess to coverage and selected sociodemographic, employment/income, an cestry, and acculturation variables. Results. Variations in health ins urance coverage existed by Latina subpopulation. While Puerto Rican wo men had the highest percentage of any health insurance coverage, Mexic an-origin women(particularly those 50 to 64 years old) had the lowest. For all three Latina groups, health insurance coverage was greater am ong those who reported a family income above the poverty level than am ong those whose income fell below the poverty level; employment locati on, acculturation variables, and ancestry were also related to coverag e. Conclusions. Eligibility requirements, particularly for Mexican- an d Cuban-origin women, need to be streamlined, and innovative health in surance programs need to be developed to increase access of Latinas to health insurance.