Latino Groups Seek a Voice in the Health Care Overhaul

Jane Norman
Congressional Quarterly
Oct 28, 2009

Leaders of Latino groups on Tuesday outlined their priorities for the health care overhaul, including a new office of minority health and an end to a five-year ban on legal immigrants’ eligibility for federal programs such as Medicaid.

The members of Latinos United for Healthcare said in a conference call with reporters that their broad-based coalition wants to remain active in the overhaul debate alongside other groups, and they also want to dispel misinformation in their communities and explain the impact of overhaul proposals.

“We need Latinos to be able to have an opportunity to clearly communicate their priorities to members of Congress,” said Lillian Rodríguez López, president of the Hispanic Federation. Latinos United for Healthcare plans forums, briefings, daily e-mail blasts and more to publicize Latino opinion on health care, she said.

Rosa Rosales, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the coalition favors a government-run health insurance option to compete with private insurance, assistance for small businesses, an end to bans on pre-existing conditions, stronger consumer protections in private plans, prevention programs that understand cultural and linguistic differences, and recruitment of more minorities as health care professionals.

The Latino leaders said they want health care coverage for all children with U.S. citizenship, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. There should be “no burdensome verification requirements that prevent low-income, elderly and minority American citizens and legal residents from accessing health care services they rightfully deserve,” Rosales said.

Janet Murguía, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, said it’s important that President Obama and Congress “recognize the critical stake that Latinos have in health care reform.” Very few Latinos have employers who provide health insurance, and when they seek health care they find a “culturally incompetent system,” Murguía said.

The Latino leaders said they have not yet formulated a position on how the overhaul should be financed, but they want to ensure that small businesses owned by Latinos don’t encounter problems with obtaining health insurance for employees.