Predictors of Health Insurance, Life Insurance, and Retirement Savings Among NYC’s Immigrant Taxi and For-Hire Vehicle Drivers

Abstract

Taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers are a predominantly immigrant population facing a range of occupational stressors, including lack of workplace benefits and increasing financial strain from tumultuous industry changes and now COVID-19’s devastating impact. Bilingual research staff surveyed 422 New York City taxi/FHV drivers using a stratified sampling approach in driver-frequented locations to examine drivers’ health and financial planning behaviors for the first time. Drivers lacked health insurance at double the NYC rate (20% vs. 10%). Life insurance and retirement savings rates were lower than U.S. averages (20% vs. 60%, 25% vs. 58%, respectively). Vehicle ownership was a significant predictor of health insurance, life insurance, and retirement savings. Compared to South Asian drivers, Sub-Saharan African drivers were significantly less likely to have health insurance and North African, and Middle Eastern drivers were significantly less likely to have retirement savings. Although most drivers indicated the importance of insurance and benefits, < 50% understood how to use them. Drivers felt primary care coverage to be most important followed by other health-related coverage, retirement benefits, and life insurance. Results reveal compelling addressable gaps in insurance and benefits coverage and the need to implement accessible financial literacy with navigation and advising services and programs.

Lurking in plain sight: Hypertension awareness and treatment among New York City taxi/for‐hire vehicle drivers

“…28 Taxi/FHV drivers' uninsurance rates have previously ranged from 20% to 70%. [8][9][10]12,21 The Affordable Care Act has improved NYC taxi/FHV driver insurance rates. 29 In our sample, 47% of drivers lacked health insurance, 46% lacked a usual care source, and 46% had not seen a doctor within the past year, with lower rates of insurance coverage and a usual care source found among hypertension-unaware drivers.…”

“…Health insurance and health care access are significantly associated with hypertension awareness; 30% of hypertensive adults without insurance were hypertension-unaware compared with 14% of those with insurance; more health visits over the past year were associated with a lower percentage of hypertension-unaware adults. 7 As independent contractors, US taxi/FHV drivers have low rates of insurance and health care access, documented in New York City (NYC), 8,9 Chicago, 10 Los Angeles, 11 and San Francisco. 12 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among US men.…”