••• hispanic research

Latino growth coming in unexpected markets

The Latino population in the U.S. is growing – and in places many people might not be looking. While historically Hispanic-designated market areas (DMAs) like Miami and New York still have the largest shares of the Latino population, new research from Nielsen highlights how the pace of growth is soaring in a range of areas outside of these concentrated immigrant gateways.
For example, Charlotte, N.C., isn’t traditionally thought of as a Latino market, but its Hispanic population is growing faster than any other region in the country, according to Nielsen. Additionally, dramatic Latino growth in a range of cities across the U.S. since 2000 has created a host of opportunities beyond the more traditional Hispanic markets, as noted in the country’s 15 largest Hispanic DMAs. The high growth in the mid-market DMAs mirrors the growth in Los Angeles and New York just a couple of decades ago. So it’s only a matter of time before one of these DMAs becomes the next Latino population center.
New immigration gateways like Washington, D.C., have formed for new U.S. Latino populations, while cities like Orlando have become suburban destinations for Latinos who previously resided in Miami or New York. These shifts have put markets that weren’t previously part of the Hispanic marketer’s strategy on the radar.
More and more Hispanics are also making the transition to the suburbs, a contrast from their historical tendency to stay within city centers. Houston, a market where Hispanics make up 36 percent of the population, mostly within the city center, has seen its Hispanic population in the suburban city limits grow by 227 percent over the last decade. This has accounted for 39 percent of the market’s overall growth.

••• health care research

Payors: WellPoint/Anthem worst; BC/BS, Cigna best

Health insurer WellPoint/Anthem ranked worst and Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Cigna were tied for best in “overall favorability” in the annual National Payor Survey. Targeted to hospital and health system leaders who negotiate contracts and pricing with big health insurance companies, the survey was conducted by Nashville, Tenn.-based Catalyst Healthcare Research in partnership with ReviveHealth and The Godbey Group.
WellPoint/Anthem came in at the bottom of this survey for the second consecutive year. It was Cigna’s second year in a row at the top. As for BC/BS, it moved up from third place in 2012.
In addition to favorability, all health plans were also rated on a series of other factors, including reimbursement rates, honesty and candor, responsiveness and claim denials. For example, Aetna was rated as having the best reimbursement rates; BC/BS was worst. Conversely BC/BS was rated as the most responsive; United Healthcare was seen as worst at this. To download a complete copy of the results and analysis of the study, go to http://tiny.cc/8jsgww (registration required).