Access to health care for uninsured Hispanics: policy recommendations

Uninsured and underinsured persons in the United States have limited access to health and mental health care and often enter the health care system via hospital emergency rooms. This pattern is even more pronounced among ethnic minorities, particularly Hispanics, a disproportionate number of whom are uninsured. The author reviews the problems faced by Hispanics in gaining access to the health and mental health care system and examines the current health and mental health status of the Hispanic population. He suggests public policy initiatives to increase the likelihood that currently uninsured members of ethnic minorities, including Hispanics, will have access to high-quality health and mental health care.