Health Policy and the Hispanic

Exploring the many dimensions of Hispanic health issues, this book updates interested readers with recent information and offers a view of the depth, scope, and complementarity of the challenges of providing adequate health care. Accordingly, the book is organized in four sections addressing, first, the conceptual, institutional, and policy elements of the problems and their solutions; second, the clinical evidence about diseases for which Hispanics are disproportionally at risk; third, social and economic factors that have an impact on the health status of Hispanics; and, fourth, future policy options that could improve the health conditions of this increasingly large and underserved group of Americans. While clarifying the issues, the book documents the importance of seeking solutions to Hispanic health problems with determination and haste. Hispanics will soon represent the largest minority in American society. And, 20 million people with Latin American and Spanish origins contribute a large, youthful, and potentially very productive group of workers to our aging labor force. Finally, in searching for solutions to Hispanic health challenges, we learn that in order to improve the health of all Americans, while containing costs, it is necessary to address, proactively, the special needs of our culturally diverse society.