Even moderate-income Hispanic families more frequently lack health insurance compared to families with comparable incomes in the U.S. population as a whole. This question was explored in a recent national research project sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund involving in-depth focus group discussions with Hispanic families across the nation. Some of the reasons given by the Hispanic family members were not unique to Hispanics, but are the natural consequence of a private sector for-profit health care system. Typically smaller companies cannot afford to offer health insurance to employees.
Some companies only offer insurance to full-time employees or to administrators.
The rest of the workers are left to fend for themselves. Many of the Hispanics that participated in this study noted that they were only able to obtain low-wage jobs, often in small, marginal businesses. Larger companies that are more likely to offer health insurance do so at a price, and that price may not be affordable. There are premium payments, deductibles, and co-payments. Many working people may have the option of health insurance, but they cannot afford to use it.