Twenty percent of Hispanic Kansans lack health insurance, more than three times the rate of white residents, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute (KHI).
The annual review of health insurance coverage in Kansas found that 20.1% of Hispanics were uninsured in 2022, compared to 12.7% of Black residents and 6.2% of white residents. While uninsured rates have declined overall since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, significant racial disparities persist.
“Hispanics are more likely to be uninsured,” said Kaci Cink (above), a KHI analyst. “The disparities are a little bit smaller than they used to be, but they definitely still remain.”
Experts cited multiple factors contributing to higher uninsured rates among Hispanic Kansans, including language barriers, immigration status concerns, cultural differences, and economic challenges.
“It’s not that they don’t want insurance,” said Geovannie Gone, executive director of the Immunize Kansas Coalition. “Families cannot afford the high insurance premiums offered by the employers.”
The overall uninsured rate in Kansas was 8.6% in 2022, ranking 13th highest in the nation. This exceeds the 6.3% average among states that expanded Medicaid eligibility.
Health care professionals emphasized the need for culturally sensitive outreach and education to address disparities. They noted the diversity within Hispanic communities and cautioned against overgeneralizing approaches to improve insurance coverage.
“When we talk about Latinos, we usually tend to generalize and say ‘all Latinos.’ But that is not a correct assumption,” Gone said. “Not all Latinos are the same.”
See “Twenty percent of Kansas Hispanics lack health insurance — three times rate of white residents” (June 27, 2024)
