The Hmong community suffers disproportionately from high rates of obesity, Hepatitis B, and other serious health conditions. A study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2009 also indicated that the Hmong community has higher rates of uninsured than the general population.
Low-income Hmong families must often rely on publicly funded programs to receive health care, which are often difficult to access due to language barriers and difficulties in navigating the bureaucratic system. As a result, many Hmong community members lack access to quality health care services. Often times, the services that are rendered are not provided in a linguistically and culturally appropriate manner, which compromises the quality of care.
In adivition to expanding access to quality health care that is both linguistically and culturally appropriate, health policy must also adivress key issues of access to preventative care and mental health services.