Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Denounces Rise in the Number of Uninsured: Census Figures Reveal Minorities Hardest Hit

African Americans experienced the sharpest one-year increase in numbers of uninsured

Washington, DC, September 29, 2003  Citing newly released Census figures, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation denounced the rise in the nation's uninsured particularly for African Americans and other minorities who have been hardest hit.

After an overall drop in the number of uninsured to 39.8 million Americans in 2000 Census figures recorded a steep rise in the number of uninsured over the last two years. The Census Bureau now reports that an estimated 43.6 million people or 15.2 percent of the population were without health insurance coverage year round in 2002.

Poverty and unemployment figures illustrate that Americans have been devastated by the effects of recession,  said Weldon J. Rougeau, President of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Census figures showing a steep increase in the number of uninsured demonstrate that the extent of suffering in our communities has not been isolated to job loss. 

Especially disturbing is that racial and ethnic minorities comprised a disproportionate burden of the uninsured population. Though African Americans are only 12 percent of the population, 20.2 percent of African Americans were uninsured in 2002 up 1.2 percent from the previous year the highest one-year percentage increase of all racial and ethnic groups. Twenty six percent of blacks in poverty were without health insurance year round.

Overall, Hispanics represent the largest aggregate percentage of the uninsured population. While 32.4 percent of Hispanics were uninsured year round, 42.8 percent of Hispanics in poverty went without health coverage in 2002.

While African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders comprise 29% of the US population, they make up 52.3 percent of the nation s year round uninsured population,  said Dr. Maya Rockeymoore, Vice President of Research and Programs at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Clearly, minorities shoulder a disproportionate percentage of the nation s uninsured population. 

The lack of health insurance is a major problem in black and brown communities,  Rockeymoore continued. For example, African Americans and Hispanics suffer the highest rates of health disparities like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke that result in disability and premature death. Most health disparities are a result of chronic diseases that could have been prevented with adequate access to quality health care. 

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation believes that a large uninsured population undermines the country's national security and productivity objectives. In an effort to strengthen our nation, CBCF calls on the President and Congress to work together to find solutions that will provide health coverage for all.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that serves as a policy-oriented catalyst to educate future leaders and promote collaboration among academic, community and business leaders to effect positive and sustainable change in the African-American community.