HEALTH CARE COSTS AS A POLITICAL ISSUE: COMPARATIVE RESPONSES OF CHICANOS AND ANGLOS

Health is seen as a public resource. The responses of 2 groups toward the cost of personal health care services & proposals for reducing costs were studied. Data were gathered during May 1969 in 2 Orange County, Calif, communities; 484 interviews were completed of which 79% were with Anglos, 15% with Chicanos, 5% with blacks & 1% with Asians. Only data on Anglos & Chicanos are used here. R's were asked their experiences with the health care industry, their opinion of the prevailing price structure, & their support for 5 proposals which, if enacted, would allegedly result in cost reductions. Major cleavages were found within & between the Chicanos & Anglos re the proposals, but there was general agreement that costs are "too high." The effects of income, fam size, & educ on these diff's in opinion were analyzed. Anglos showed little support for any of the remedial actions proposed; Chicanos showed considerably more. Among both Anglos & Chicanos concern over health care costs & support for remedial action varied little according to income, educ, or fam size; but Chicanos as a group had lower incomes, less educ, & more children in the home than Anglos. It is suggested that concern about rising health care costs offers a focus for widespread pol'al mobilization among Chicanos. Large segments of the more affluent & highly educated strata among Chicanos seem to basically agree with large numbers of the Lc's that health care is a salient issue. This could serve as a basis for dialogue & collective action. 2 Tables. M. Maxfield.