by Carla Murez
Health Day Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Many Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults may struggle to access health care and insurance because of language barriers, a new analysis suggests.
In a new Urban Institute report supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, researchers found that more than 30 percent of this group had limited English proficiency in 2019. This percentage is similar to that of Hispanic adults, but the difference in language communication can be more challenging for this group.
While most Hispanic adults in the United States speak Spanish, Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) adults in the same situation speak multiple languages and dialects.
“These findings point to the need for greater language accessibility for this group in healthcare settings and when enrolling and renewing health insurance — especially as some pandemic-related health insurance protections expire ,” said Jennifer Haley, a senior fellow at the agency. Urban Institute.
Haley noted that the White House Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Advisory Committee is considering accessibility recommendations for people with limited English proficiency in the community.
“While some AANHPIs are stereotyped as ‘model minorities’ and face no disadvantage, many in this community face barriers that may reduce their chances of getting health insurance,” Haley said in Robert Wood Johnson said at a news conference.
Other findings include that 15 percent of Asian American adults live in a household in which all members age 14 and older report limited English proficiency.
Rates of limited English proficiency varied among different AANHPI subgroups. For example, the rate is about 12 percent for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults, and much higher at 40 percent for adults in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal, and Myanmar.
The analysis found that people with limited English proficiency were more likely not to be U.S. citizens, have lower incomes, less education, and higher insurance rates than those who were proficient in English.
“As healthcare systems identify and grapple with systemic drivers of racial inequality, it is clear that resources must be culturally appropriate and linguistically sensitive to improve access to coverage and care for individuals with limited English proficiency,” Senior said program officer Gina Hijjawi. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“State and federal officials must develop and target culturally and linguistically sensitive resources to ensure that more people, including those with [limited English proficiency] There is an opportunity to improve their health and the health of the community,” Hijjawi said in the release.
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SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, press release, December 13, 2022
