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Press Release: LULAC Takes A Stand In Support Of National Health Care Reform. The Obama administration continues to push for fundamental health reform, which according to President Obama must happen this year. June 29, 2009 Contact: Lizette J. Olmos Washington , DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country, supports efforts in health care reform which the Obama administration has been seeking. Currently, 46 million Americans do not have health care coverage. “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what,” Obama said last Monday, addressing the American Medical Association. The Obama administration is committed to healthcare reform that ensures expanded coverage to all Americans. Through his reform plan the health care system will be structured to include a lower cost of service, a wider array of plan choices, higher quality, and stability and peace of mind. President Obama has repeatedly stated that his plan will not add to the national deficit and that the “top priority” is to control cost. “We are very pleased that the President has taken the initiative to make sure health care reformed is passed. We applaud President Obama for reaffirming his commitment that nobody should be denied health care,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. Recently, the Congressional Tri-Caucus comprised of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) introduced The Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009. This Act underlines their priorities for Health Care Reform. It focuses on the need to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities that exist under the current healthcare system. LULAC applauds these efforts to improve this broken health care system which has been a burden on so many Americans for too long. This act will do much to help the thirty three percent of all Latinos over 18 years of age who do not have health care coverage. LULAC National leadership attended the forum on Health Care Reform at the White House on Wednesday June 24th, 2009. The Obama administration has taken a bold lead on health care reform. LULAC will continue to work with the current administration to ensure that members of the Hispanic community, which includes over 4 million residents of Puerto Rico, have access to affordable, high quality health insurance. "LULAC supports a public health plan and the elimination of disparities within the national health care system as key components of comprehensive health reform," said Rev. Deacon Sal Alvarez, Chair of the National LULAC Health Commission. According to a recent study done by the Pew Hispanic Center, of the uninsured population in the United States, one out of every three persons are Hispanic. Forty-five percent of all undocumented children are uninsured and 59 percent of all undocumented adults are uninsured. The current house bill makes a commitment to all people who are lawfully present to be covered in the new health care plan. For the world’s last remaining super power, not having an effective health care system is unacceptable. Other first world nations seem to be having less of a problem with it. For example, according to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development 99.6 percent of the German population has health care. There also have a relatively low level of health care spending in Germany. Recognizing this, it is all the more remarkable that Germany has a low level of health care spending, due to the fact that Germany has a larger senior citizen population than that of the United States. Sixteen percent of the German population is age 65 or older, compared to 13 percent in the U.S. In fact, the United States will attain Germany’s current age structure by the year 2020. If this problem is not addressed now it will create further social and political unrest in the future. The League of United Latin American Citizens advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. # # # |