Immigrant Generations and Health Care: Explaining Health Coverage Disparities among U.S. Hispanics

• In Event: 546 - Section on Sociology of Population Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Neighborhoods, Migration, and Health

Abstract

This paper assesses generational and nativity differences in health insurance coverage among Hispanics and native-born non-Hispanics. Despite the documented disparities in health insurance coverage and health care utilization both within the Hispanic population and between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, little research has systematically examined the differences in health insurance coverage across Hispanic generations and native-born non-Hispanics. Using pooled, cross-sectional data from all waves of the 2004 and 2008 panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), this study contributes to the existing literature via a systematic analysis of health insurance coverage of first, second, and third-plus generation Hispanics and third-plus generation non-Hispanics. Preliminary findings suggest that Hispanics are increasingly insured in later generations, but third-plus generation Hispanics remain significantly different from their native-born, non-Hispanic counterparts.

Author

• Chris Galvan, Pennsylvania State University