Update on Racial Disparities in Access to Healthcare: An Application of Nonlinear Decomposition Techniques*

Abstract

ObjectiveAccess to care disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics continue to persist; updating the literature is essential to finding solutions.MethodsUsed the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2009–2011, Area Health Resource File, and 2010 Census to update the literature using nonlinear decomposition techniques.ResultsFindings confirm previous studies: health insurance is essential in reducing racial disparities in healthcare. The impact of language has grown to 25 percent. Findings also suggest that acquiring public health insurance and gaining citizenship offset the access to care disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics, especially for women. Heterogeneity exists between Hispanic women and men, some of which comes from differences between their attitudes and beliefs regarding healthcare. However, these disparities cannot be explained with observed characteristics.ConclusionDisparities in access to care have changed and observed characteristics explain all disparities between non‐Hispanic whites and Hispanics. Hispanic men suffer disproportionately from access to care disparities compared to Hispanic women.