Texas Latino Families Face the Nation’s Worst Uninsurance Crisis as Benivita Pushes a Membership Alternative

As Hispanic Heritage Month highlights Latino contributions, new data shows Texas has the country’s highest uninsured rate and Hispanic working-age adults are far more likely to lack coverage than white residents. Benivita says its bilingual telehealth membership is filling the gap for families shut out of traditional insurance.

Why it matters: - Texas has the worst uninsured rate of any state, and Latino families are carrying a disproportionate share of that burden. - Nearly 1 in 4 Hispanic adults in the United States, or 24.6%, has no health insurance, according to the CDC. - In Texas, 27% of Hispanic residents are uninsured. - Among Latino working-age adults ages 19 to 64 in Texas, the uninsured rate rises to 31%, more than three times the rate for white adults in the state. - Two-thirds of Texas’s 1.1 million uninsured children are Latino. - The coverage gap pushes families to delay care until conditions become emergencies, worsening outcomes and increasing costs.

What happened: - The article was released in Houston on Sept. 25, 2026, during Hispanic Heritage Month. - Yesenia Arroliga, a Houston resident, is presented as an example of a Latino family member who could not afford to see a doctor. - Arroliga says she later found an alternative to traditional insurance that gave her access to a bilingual doctor from her phone without a waiting room or a bill. - Benivita Inc. is promoting a bilingual telehealth membership service as an alternative for families who cannot use or afford traditional coverage.

The details: - Cost is the biggest barrier to care for many Latino families, followed by language, fear and a system that does not fit their needs. - The release says an urgent care visit without insurance typically costs $150 to $300. - The release says an emergency room visit can cost more than $1,000. - The CDC data cited in the release shows the Hispanic uninsured rate is the highest of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S. - The release says 84 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. - Health insurance premiums have risen by more than 300% since 1999, according to the release. - The average family insurance plan now costs more than $24,000 a year, the release says. - Benivita says members get access to bilingual physicians by video 24 hours a day, seven days a week. - Benivita says the membership includes prescriptions, primary care, mental health support and additional health benefits for less than $100 a month per family. - Benivita says the service is not insurance and bypasses the insurance system. - Benivita says the service is available regardless of legal status in the United States. - Jon Guzman, founder and CEO of Benivita, said the Hispanic community has long carried the burden of a healthcare system not built for it. - Guzman said the service requires no documentation, no Social Security number and no proof of immigration status. - The only requirement is a phone and a membership, Guzman said. - Benivita says its services include 24/7 virtual urgent care, primary care, mental health support, prescription access, dental discounts and vision benefits. - Benivita says all services are available in English and Spanish.

Between the lines: - The release frames Texas’s uninsured problem as both a public health issue and a market failure. - It also argues that traditional insurance and public assistance leave undocumented and mixed-status families with few workable options. - The company is positioning a direct-to-consumer membership model as a workaround for families priced out of coverage. - The broader message is that access, not just insurance labels, is what determines whether families seek care early.

What’s next: - Benivita says Santiago Esparza is available to Spanish-language media to explain the service in person, virtually or by phone. - Guzman is available for English-language interviews. - The release indicates Benivita plans to keep expanding awareness of its membership model among Texas and national Latino communities.

The bottom line: - Texas’s Latino uninsured crisis remains severe, and Benivita is betting that bilingual, no-documentation telehealth memberships can reach families the insurance system has left behind.