Uninsured in Chicago

How the Social Safety Net Leaves Latinos Behind

Robert Vargas

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781479807147
• eBook ISBN: 9781479807161
• Edition: 0
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Public Health, Administration & Care
• Index: Social Sciences

Why millions of Latinx people don't access the healthcare system, even in times of need More than a decade after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, around eleven million Latinx citizens around the country remain uninsured. In Uninsured in Chicago, Robert Vargas explores the roots of this crisis, showing us why, despite their eligibility, Latinx people are the racial group least likely to enroll in health insurance. Following the lives of forty uninsured Latinx people in Chicago, Vargas provides an up-close look at America's broken healthcare system, and how it impacts marginalized groups. From excruciatingly long waits and expensive medical bills, to humiliating interactions with health navigators and emergency room staff, he shows us why millions of Latinx people avoid the healthcare system, even in times of need. With a compassionate eye, Vargas highlights the unique struggles Latinx people face as the largest racial group without health insurance in the United States. An intimate account of the lives of uninsured Latinos, this book imagines new, powerful ways to strengthen our social safety net to better serve our most vulnerable communities.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. How the Uninsured Are Criminalized
• 2. Who Deserves Health Care?
• 3. Why Latina Women Sacrifice Their Coverage
• 4. The Role Gender Plays in Access to Health Care
• 5. The Power of Social Networks to Secure Insurance
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• Methodological Appendix
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author