News: Uninsured rate for minority groups dropped over last decade, HHS suggests

Uninsurance rates among Black, Latino, Asian, and Native Americans has dropped substantially over the past 10+ years, a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report suggests.

According to an American Hospital Association (AHA) summary, from 2010-2022, uninsurance rates for “Black Americans dropped from approximately 21 to 11%, 33 to 18% for Latino Americans, 17 to 6% for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and 32 to 20% for American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

HHS has also announced a “robust investment” for Navigators, a federal program seeking to expand medical coverage for undeserved communities. The investment is to the tune of $500 million over the next five years and aims to continue increasing Navigators’ sizeable patient pool of 21.4 million enrollees. According to the HHS, Navigators received $10 million in 2020, $90.2 million in 2021, $98.9 million in 2022, $98.6 million in 2023.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser focused on making sure everyone can get health care, regardless of the color of their skin,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a recent press statement. “Today’s data show just how far we have come in reaching Black, Latino, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations, who are disproportionately uninsured. HHS is doubling down on our efforts by announcing another historic investment in Navigators, helping us continue to reach record enrollment in underserved communities.”

Editor’s note: To read the AHA summary, click here. To read the HHS report/press release, click here.