Eliminating Disparities in the U.S. Hispanic Population

By 2050, the working-age population in the United States is projected to be more than 30 percent Hispanic (up from 15 percent in 2008).¹ Alarmingly, only 49 percent of Hispanics who are not comfortable speaking English have a regular source of health care as compared to 63 percent of Hispanics who speak English proficiently.² This could, in part, be a reason why Hispanics are 38 percent less likely than non-Hispanics to have visited a doctor in the last year.³ Hispanics are also less likely to receive or use medications for asthma, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, mental illness or pain.⁴ Increased preventive primary care and better means of communicating health information to the Hispanic population is needed to help improve health, decrease cost to employers and eliminate healthcare disparities.

The Hispanic population has high rates of some of the most costly and devastating health conditions that are preventable and can be treated easily when diagnosed early.:

• Mexican American adults are 2 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
• Hispanics are 1.5 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• Hispanics are 1.6 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.
• Mexican American women are 1.2 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to be obese.
• Mexican American mothers are 2.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the 3rd trimester, or not receive prenatal care at all.
• Hispanic men and women had over 3 times and 5 times the AIDS rate, respectively as non-Hispanic whites.

Source: Office of Minority Health. Hispanic/Latino profile. Available at: http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=54. Accessed February 17, 2009

These health conditions are also costly:

• It is estimated heart disease-related costs such as health care services, medications, and lost productivity in 2009 will be over $475 billion.⁵
• Direct costs for treatment of diabetes and its complications are estimated to be $174 billion, and indirect costs such as disability, work loss, premature death is $58 billion.⁶
• Obesity health related costs totaled $117 billion in 2000.⁷
• A premature baby averages $41,610 in direct medical costs, 15 times higher than the $2,830 for a healthy, full-term delivery.⁸

What Employers Can Do:
Provide links on your intranet to helpful sites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website on Minority Health. This page explains what minority health is, provides population specific publications, and other resources employers may find helpful. To learn more about healthcare disparities and health topics related to minorities, visit the Office of Minority Health page. Another resource is a website targeted to Hispanic adults by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality called Superheroes.

References:
¹ Institute of Medicine. Challenges and successes in reducing health disparities: Workshop summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2008.

² Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Problems with English help block many Hispanics from medical care. Available at: http://www.ahrq.gov/news/nn/nn032608.htm. Accessed February 17, 2009.

³ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Superhéroes TV and radio ads encourage Hispanics to get involved in their own health care. Available at: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/cc/cc041508.htm. Accessed February 19, 2009.

⁴ Reyes C, Van de Putte L, Falcon AP et al. Genes, culture, and medicines: Bridging gaps in treatment for Hispanic Americans. Washington, DC: The National Alliance for Hispanic Health and The National Pharmaceutical Council; 2004. Available at: http://www.hispanichealth.org/pdf/hispanic_report04.pdf. Accessed February 17, 2009.

⁵ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease and stroke: The nation's leading killers. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/AAG/dhdsp.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.

⁶ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes: Successes and opportunities for population-based prevention and control. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/aag/ddt.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.

⁷ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity: Halting the epidemic by making health easier. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/AAG/obesity.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.

⁸ March of Dimes. Premature birth: The cost to business. Available at: http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/21198_15349.asp. Accessed March 2, 2009.