By Rob Moritz
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — More than half of Hispanics surveyed in the state said they did not have health insurance, according to results of a new study released today.
The Arkansas Minority Health Commission’s Arkansas Racial and Ethic Health Disparity Study also found that about half of Hispanics were without a regular health care provider and 20 percent said they faced longer wait times and felt discriminated against while waiting to see a doctor.
“As we think about health and health care in this country, we really do have to address racial and ethnic health care disparities,” Dr. Creshelle Nash, medical director of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, said at a state Capitol news conference.
Dr. Eduardo Ochoa, a pediatrician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, noted that one in five Hispanics surveyed said they were “ignored, discriminated against for some reason.”
“As a nation, when we move forward with discussions about health care reform, just getting more people insured isn’t going to ensure that our health care system adequately meets the needs of our minority citizens, and especially our minority Arkansans,” Ochoa said.
The study, done by telephone, also found that two-thirds of Hispanics seeking medical treatment had difficulty understanding their doctor because they did not have an interpreter. Forty percent said they brought a family member or friend to a clinic or doctor to help translate.
“Even though we’ve been talking this issue of health disparity for nearly eight years … we’re still at the point where our health care infrastructure has not adequately responded to serve this population with such things as professional interpreters,” Ochoa said.
More than 2,300 Arkansans were interviewed for the study, including more than 400 Hispanics.
Ochoa said data was still being evaluated and that ultimately policy recommendations will be made to health care professionals and lawmakers on how to improve health care among minorities.
“As we think about our healthcare system , I think we can all agree that we want health care system that’s safe, that’s effective, that’s timely, that’s efficient and equitable,” Nash said.
February 24th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I understand that some people may have a perception of being discriminated against even when they are not. That might be a point of further study.
Another point is that a lot of people do feel negatively towards persons they believe to be illegal aliens and the inability to speak English would strengthen that belief. Many people also disagree with providing free healthcare to illegal aliens as they don’t feel as if that population has contributed to the tax table that funds healthcare. This might also be another area in which a study is done – looking at the clinic staff and their beliefs. While I don’t want to ignore the person seeking care or their opinions I also don’t want to ignore the opinions of the persons tasked with provideing that care.