The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute has released a comprehensive national study focused on the health insurance status of Dominicans in the United States. The report finds that Dominicans have among the highest health insurance coverage rates among Hispanics/Latinos, largely due to their strong reliance on public health insurance programs and publicly supported plans. Co-authored by Ramona Hernández, Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz, and Sidie S. Sisay, the study highlights the important role government programs play in expanding access to health care within the Dominican community.
Over the past 15 years, Dominicans have made significant progress in reducing their uninsured rate, cutting it by more than half from over 20% between 2008 and 2013 to 9.9% in 2024. This rate is substantially lower than the overall Hispanic/Latino uninsured rate of 17.2%, giving Dominicans one of the lowest uninsured rates among Latino groups nationwide. Although slightly higher than the overall U.S. population uninsured rate, this improvement represents a major gain in health coverage for the community. In New York City, which has the largest Dominican population in the country, the uninsured rate is even lower at just 5.4%, reflecting the impact of favorable state-level policies and expanded access to coverage.
A central finding of the report is the Dominican community’s heavy reliance on public insurance programs. Nearly 44.5% of Dominicans depend exclusively on public health insurance, compared to 27.1% of the overall U.S. population. Additionally, almost half of insured Dominicans receive some form of public support, including Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, or Marketplace subsidies, compared to about 30% nationally. This dependence on public programs has been critical in helping reduce uninsured rates and improving overall access to health care.
However, this reliance also creates vulnerability. The study warns that budget cuts to public health insurance programs or the expiration of Marketplace subsidies in 2025 could have severe and disproportionate effects on Dominicans, potentially increasing uninsured rates and limiting access to essential services. The authors emphasize that public health insurance serves as a vital safety net for Dominicans and other communities, and reductions in government support could threaten both the progress achieved and broader public health outcomes. Read more about the study here.
About the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute
Founded in 1992 at The City College of New York, the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY DSI) is the nation’s first university-based research institute devoted to the study of people of Dominican descent in the United States and around the globe. CUNY DSI’s mission is to advance and share scholarship about Dominicans and the Dominican Republic through cutting-edge research, publications, and public programming.
The Institute is home to the Dominican Archives, the first and only of its kind outside the Dominican Republic, and the Dominican Library, the largest repository of bibliographic resources in the U.S. on Dominican Studies. Together, these unique institutions preserve and provide access to primary and secondary source materials documenting the Dominican experience. CUNY DSI also curates art exhibitions, lectures, and conferences, creating vital spaces for dialogue on culture, history, and identity. Under the leadership of renowned sociologist and public intellectual Dr. Ramona Hernández, CUNY DSI continues to be a national leader in shaping understanding of Dominican and Latino communities.
