Study shows AAPIs uninsured due to high healthcare costs
A THREE-part AARP study published earlier this year on the health and healthcare of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders revealed that various AAPI ethnic groups are without health insurance due to the high cost of coverage, among other findings.
Because of associated costs, according to the study, 20 percent of AAPIs ages 50 to 64 are uninsured compared to 15 percent of the general US population in the same age group; Six percent of AAPIs age 65 and up are not insured compared to 1 percent of the general US population; and 33 percent of AAPIs in the same age group have private insurance, in contrast to 52 percent of the general US population in that age range.
Filipino Americans ages 50 and above living in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, however, fare well, as 90 percent have health insurance coverage, according to the study.
The figure puts Filipino Americans second among other Asian ethnic groups and closest to the general population in regard to health coverage. First are Japanese Americans (96 percent), Filipino Americans, Chinese Americans (86 percent), Vietnamese Americans (84 percent) Asian Indian Americans (84 percent) and Korean Americans (75 percent).
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the U.S.,” Daphne Kwok, AARP vice president of multicultural markets and engagement, said of the study’s significance. “And yet, the [AAPI] communities are understudied and underserved.”
Economic well-being
In an AARP report on AAPI financial security, many AAPIs ages 50 and older (especially those 65 and up) face financial troubles because they are less likely to have pensions, social security and various financial products like health insurance and retirement savings.
However, the report stated that AAPIs 50 years old and beyond possess greater spending power than most individuals of the same age group in the US general population. The report credited this to the fact that most AAPI households are larger and multigenerational. It listed AAPI household spending at $60,466, compared to $38,693 for Hispanics/Latinos and $35,013 for African-Americans/Blacks in the same age group.
For household incomes of AAPIs 65 and older, Filipinos topped the list at $53,831. Japanese came in next ($43,824), followed by Tongans ($42,328), Indonesians ($38,214) and the general US population ($33,906).
For AAPIs 65 and older who fall below the poverty level, the report found that Filipinos are at 7 percent, compared to the overall AAPI population at 9.5 percent.
Contributing factors to a lack of healthcare coverage
In addition to all these figures, the study stated a number of obstacles are responsible for why not all middle-aged and older AAPIs have health insurance. Among these include a lack of understanding of the US health care system and lack of transportation.
The study stated that another factor is acculturation, as many AAPIs aged 50 and up who immigrated to the United States are not English proficient and may have retained traditional cultural values.
“Asian Indians may prefer home treatments. Chinese Americans may practice more traditional Chinese medicine like acupuncture. Filipino Americans may believe in the relationship between good health and the balance of hot and cold. Korean Americans have the concept of ‘hanyak’ while Southeast Asians may subscribe to traditional Buddhist health practices,” according to the study.
An estimated two-thirds of AAPIs are immigrants.
Elderly care
With regard to elderly care, the study noted that AAPI families typically don’t put elders in institutional facilities.
“Filipino Americans may move from one child’s home to another to take care of grandchildren, while they themselves would be cared for later by their children. Housing alternatives provided by the community and the church are seen among Korean Americans.”
Among other AAPI ethnic groups, findings were similar.
“In their traditional culture, Asian Indians even go further by resisting homes from healthcare providers because they would rather seek help from family and friends. Traditional Pacific Islanders show preference to being cared for by family during illness rather than going to a doctor.”
Caregivers possessing similar ethnicity and language may also be more desirable to those receiving care, as was the case for older and less acculturated Japanese-American adults, according to the study.
Other findings
Another topic given focus in the study was what ethnic groups consider important services for living a good life. For Filipinos, 90 percent of respondents put medical insurance for all ages at the top of the list, followed by the safety and accessibility of personal records (87 percent), and helping children and grandchildren succeed in their education and careers (87 percent).
The study acknowledged barriers it faced in assessing health coverage among multi-ethnic AAPIs. Among these included language, poverty, age (certain AAPI immigrants aged 65 and up are not eligible for Medicare) and costs (as many AAPIs have their own small business or are self-employed).
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek April 22-24, 2015 Sec. A pg.1)
