National Alliance for Hispanic Health urges Congress to support health insurance reform bill

National Alliance for Hispanic HealthFeb 27 2010

"Health is more than insurance coverage, but it is critical that this step be accomplished as we continue our journey towards health care for all," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than a third (37.1%) of Hispanic workers do not have health insurance.

Following yesterday's White House health reform summit, the Alliance urged its members to write to Congress to support timely passage of a health insurance reform bill combining the best of legislation currently passed by the House and Senate and ideas presented at the health reform summit. Among actions urged by Alliance members —

• Recruitment, education, and placement of bilingual, bicultural providers throughout the health care system.
• Consumer and provider representation as well as business and labor representation in the determination of health and mental health benefits, allocation of resources, cost containment, and quality of care standards.
• Consumer choice and access to health care plans.
• Expansion of consumer education and health education activities.
• Elimination of barriers to insurance coverage regardless of health status, gender, or disability.
• Access to quality health care to all persons and families, regardless of socioeconomic status; including, elimination of legal barriers to coverage for legal immigrants.
• Improved capacity to deliver primary and preventative care at the community level, and expanded community health delivery and family services networks.
• Research and policy that fosters personalized medicine; supports decision-making between a provider and patient; and, is designed to collect and analyze data to report, at a minimum, findings by race and ethnicity, gender and age.

According to Dr. Delgado, "with one million Hispanics losing their job over the past year the economic crisis is increasing the number of families that must go without insurance. For all American families, action on health insurance reform can no longer wait"