Persistent disparities in health insurance coverage: Hispanic children, 1996 to 2005.

OBJECTIVE: To identify how health insurance coverage trends changed for Hispanic children between 1996 and 2005.

METHODS: Data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement were analyzed to determine health insurance coverage rates for Hispanic children and logistic regression was used to determine the role of race/ethnicity on health insurance status, adjusting for citizenship status, child characteristics, migration status, and geography.

RESULTS: The proportion of uninsured Hispanic children decreased significantly. However, the increased likelihood of a Hispanic child being uninsured relative to non-Hispanic White children did not change during this period.

CONCLUSIONS: Expansions in public health insurance programs between 1996 and 2005 increased health insurance coverage for Hispanic children but disparities between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White children persist.