Here’s where Hispanic immigrants stand when it comes to health insurance

Hispanic immigrants, regardless of citizenship status, are more than twice as likely as U.S.-born Hispanics to lack health insurance coverage, and according to new data from the Census Bureau, Hispanics still represent the most uninsured group in the country.

During 2014, 25 percent of Hispanics in the country still fall under the category of uninsured, topping the list of all ethnicities when it comes to a lack of coverage. The Current Population Survey’s March 2014 Annual Social and Economic Supplement revealed 1 out of 4 Hispanics in the country are uninsured, compared to slightly more than 1 in 10 non-Hispanic whites.

SEE ALSO: Enrollment of Obamacare exceeds expectations, but not for Latinos

Not surprisingly, the subgroup within Hispanics with the highest uninsured rates was that of Hispanic undocumented immigrants at 49 percent. While much of the disparity can be attributed to fear of deportation and other legal issues, Hispanic immigrants in general had the highest uninsured rates. Hispanic immigrants with citizenship had a 21 percent uninsured rate, compared to U.S.-born Hispanics with an uninsured rate of 17 percent.

Overall, the Pew Research Center reports the data indicates up to 13 million Hispanic immigrants still lack health insurance, despite the fact Hispanics routinely indicate health care is their top concern when it comes to issues affecting the population.

Other key findings in the Population Survey report included:

• Among U.S.-born Hispanics, those over the age of 65 had the lowest uninsured rate at 2 percent, compared to U.S.-born Hispanics between the ages of 18 and 64 with the highest uninsured rate of 24 percent.
• Among foreign-born Hispanics, the group with the lowest uninsured rates were Hispanics over the age of 65 at 8 percent, compared to foreign-born Hispanics between the ages of 18 and 64 with the highest uninsured rate of 43 percent.
• Approximately 34 percent of immigrant Hispanic children are uninsured, compared to 12 percent of U.S.-born Hispanic children.
• Hispanic support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has dropped from 61 percent to 47 percent since September, 2013.

Experts indicate barriers to insurance still are important factors in how many Hispanics seek coverage. Language and  a lack of trust for traditional medical facilities can prevent Hispanics from being comfortable seeking care. What’s more, during its launch, the Spanish-language portion of the ACA was fraught with problems, making it even more discouraging and difficult for Hispanics to sign up for health coverage.

SEE ALSO: Spanish Obamacare website experiencing significant problems

While there is no definitive reason Hispanic support for the ACA has declined sharply, the initial difficulties, coupled by anti-Obama sentiments in the media have likely played a role in the lack of Hispanic enrollment.

“I think it’s a lot of people who are frustrated that they don’t have the access to obtain health insurance,” Matt Barreto, a Latino Decisions pollster, said in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “People are anxious and waiting for their turn to have access. “There were drop-offs. The support wasn’t quite what it used to be.”