By Delilah Alvarado
(AUSTIN, Texas) Latinos that live in states that haven't expanded Medicaid are more likely to be uninsured compared to states that expanded Medicaid, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and the nonprofit group UnidosUS.
The trend is also true for Latino children even though Medicaid covers adults. Latino children in non-expansion states are 2.5 times more likely to be uninsured, according to KUT.
Texas is one of 12 states that have decided not to expand Medicaid. Texas has the highest uninsured rates in the country, with 41% of Latino parents uninsured and almost 18% of Latino children uninsured.
Kelly Whitener, an associate research professor with the Center for Children and Families, said a lot of working-class parents lack the options for affordable healthcare, and Latino parents in low-wage industries have fewer options for employer-sponsored insurance.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated longstanding health disparities for Latinos and other communities of color,” they wrote in the report. “As policymakers consider how to design a more equitable health system, Medicaid expansion is one key lever already at states’ disposal.”