HEALTH-INSURANCE COVERAGE OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES IN THE US - THE EFFECT OF EMPLOYMENT CONTEXT AND FAMILY-STRUCTURE IN RURAL AND URBANSETTINGS

This article examines the impact of the employment context and family structure on the health insurance status of thexican families. Data fr om the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey were used to (a) exami ne the differences in the extent of family coverage among Latino famil ies in the U.S., (b) determine whether differences in the residential distribution of these families is responsible for these differences, a nd (c) assess the impact of family characteristics and the employment context on the health insurance status of Mexican and non-Latino White families within and across residential groups. Although residential d ifferences existed in both the way Latino families access health insur ance and in the impact of family characteristics and the employment co ntext on the odds of having family coverage, it was not found to expla in the difference in health insurance. The extended family had a signi ficant impact on the odds of having no one insured in the family versu s having everyone insured.