Latinos losing on healthcare reform

All Eyes on Healthcare Reform
Rob Kuznia -- HispanicBusiness Magazine

With one in three U.S. Hispanics lacking health insurance, it's little wonder recent nationwide surveys show that the Hispanic population considers healthcare reform to be the No. 1 issue of the day — surpassing even immigration reform and the economic downturn. Now, with a historic effort underway on Capitol Hill to merge two recently approved health bills — the House's in November and the Senate in late December — the implications for Hispanics are monumental.

Both bills seek to significantly boost the rate of insured Americans, currently at 83 percent. The Senate plan would expand that coverage rate to 94 percent; the House plan, 96 percent. Put another way, the bills would reduce the number of uninsured people in the United States – now standing around 46 million – by between 31 million and 36 million. "I think it's a phenomenal step forward," Dr. Elena Rios, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, told HispanicBusiness Magazine. "It's really a big opportunity for this country to start decreasing the cost of healthcare."

But Hispanic advocates are far from sanguine. As lawmakers in Washington D.C. gear up for a grueling effort to reconcile the gargantuan bills, major concerns still loom for Hispanic groups. Their worries are numerous, but in general, Hispanic groups tend to be less enthusiastic about the Senate bill. Take the politically thorny issue of illegal immigration. Currently, the Senate bill prohibits illegal immigrants from purchasing — with their own money (and no government subsidies) — health plans on a proposed national insurance exchange. An insurance exchange is a large pool of people that contracts with insurers to lower risk and therefore reduce the premiums of the customers. More.