WASHINGTON, July 27, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The U.S. Senate has voted against Repeal and Replace of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the second time. The House of Representatives already approved their bill. In both houses of Congress, the Republican leaders are focused with these efforts on how to decrease federal government funding of health care for the poor and middle class, so they can save taxes for the wealthy. What is being discussed?
The greatest changes would be to decrease access to health care in this country by eliminating the Medicaid entitlement to a smaller block grant to States, Planned Parenthood & primary care to many women, mandate for health care insurance that will lead to youth opting out of insurance and higher premiums, essential benefits that will decrease use of mental health, vision and oral health care, and by eliminating the Public Health and Prevention Fund for the CDC programs that fight HIV, Zika, TB and other epidemics in culturally competent ways.
According to the National Hispanic Medical Association president & ceo, Dr. Elena Rios, “Latino families will have little recourse except to go to expensive care at emergency room services and hospitals— as more put off going to see a doctor until they are really sick. We would see diabetes and heart disease with more severe complications – kidney failure and blindness, heart failure and strokes happening much earlier in our families, leading to premature death.”
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Obama in 2010 and has resulted in 30 million newly insured Americans. Latinos and other vulnerable populations who are working poor have been the most to gain, because they had the highest rates of being uninsured, with new access to health care services and improved quality lives.
Today, it is projected that a very small bill, called a Skinny Bill could be up for a Senate vote soon for elimination of the individual and employer mandate that would disrupt our families ability to find individual insurance and many Latinos don’t have access to employer-based insurance.
The NHMA urges all to call their Senators to vote no on the Repeal ACA. NHMA stands willing to participate in a more productive discussion with Congress and the White House on how to improve the ACA, not tear it down, so that we can have affordable health insurance for quality health care for all Americans. We deserve a fundamental right to health care among our communities.
The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) mission is to empower Hispanic physicians to work with our public and private partners to improve the health of Hispanic and other underserved populations.
SOURCE National Hispanic Medical Association
