Many Hispanics Shut Out of U.S. Health Care System

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"We found a number of characteristics of health care access that are particular to Latinos," Livingston added. "Especially important is assimilation."

For instance, foreign-born Hispanics are less likely to have a usual health care provider, as are those who only speak Spanish, Livingston said. Among those who have been in the United States for five years or less, 49 percent don't have a regular care provider, compared with 21 percent of Hispanics who have been in the United States for 15 years or more, according to the survey.

Access to health insurance plays a big role, too, the survey found.

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"Among people who have health insurance, 19 percent lacked a usual health care provider, compared to 42 percent of people who lack health insurance," Livingston said.

Curiously, many Hispanics who don't have a usual health care provider were born in the United States and are educated, and 45 percent have health insurance, Livingston said. "This suggests that it's not only financial reasons that are keeping Latinos from doctors," she added.

Among those who did seek regular care, more than 75 percent said their care was "good" or "excellent," Livingston said. Those with positive experiences typically had a usual health care provider and health insurance.

"Among those people who reported they were not satisfied with their health care, the most common reason why they received poor health care was financial," Livingston said. "They felt that their health care professional did not provide good care because they did not have the means to pay for the health care."

About 8 percent of Hispanics, mostly those who live near the Mexican border, said they crossed the border for their health care. This was particularly common among people who rated their U.S. health care as poor, Livingston said.

Another aspect of the survey dealt with how Hispanics get their medical information. "About a third of Hispanics get their medical information from doctors," Susan Minushkin, deputy director at the Pew Hispanic Center, said during the teleconference.

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