Health Insurance Expansion for Communities of Color

August 16, 2007

The study also touches upon issues of cultural competency and linguistic backgrounds, both of which are important components of access to care. Under the Nunez/Perata and Governor's plans, "7 in 10 of the newly insured will be from communities of color," an encouraging statistic to say the least.

But of course, greater difficulty comes about in deciding financing structures, payment systems, how to further reduce the uninsurance rate, and perhaps, why 7 in 10 is acceptable, when 6 in 10 of those not covered will still be from communities of color. Finally, the findings beg the question of whether having insurance means you will actually even get care in our already-over-burdened health care system.

Contributor: