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Date published: 8/17/2008
By VIANNA DAVILA SAN JOSÉ, Calif. --The last time Robert Verceles went to the doctor for a regular physical was four years ago--and that's only because his job required it.Verceles, 41, has health insurance, and he has a doctor. But he visits him only when "I can't take care of it myself," the San Jose man said. That attitude isn't uncommon among Hispanics--especially young men--living in the United States. One of the largest surveys of Hispanics on health found that they are less likely to regularly see a doctor, even when insurance and language are not factors. The findings, released last week, suggest major health implications for the nation's fastest-growing minority group. While Hispanics Other findings by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation include: About 27 percent of Hispanics don't regularly see a doctor even though many of them have medical insurance; a majority of this group speak English or are bilingual. Native born, English-speaking Hispanics are more likely to use the Internet or newspapers for health information; foreign-born Spanish speakers stick to Spanish-language television and radio. 64 percent of Hispanics said the health information they got from the media prompted them to change their diet or exercise routines. The figures demonstrate the continuing need for the health care practitioners to reach out to a Hispanic community that often puts more trust in Spanish-language television than the medical system. "It reflects the health system not being welcoming to our culture," said Adolph Falcon, vice president for science and policy at the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. lacking a medical home But the study also showed Hispanic immigrants were less likely to have access to a regular doctor or health insurance, compared to those born in the U.S. "That's the real gap I think we're facing: The ability to provide a medical home for a spectrum of this population," said Dr. William Vega, professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who assisted with the study. As a whole, Hispanics are more than twice as likely to lack a regular health provider than non-Hispanics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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