Health Briefing at 2014 LULAC National Legislative Conference was a Great Success!
The "Championing Coverage and Addressing Health Disparities" Briefing, which took place a few weeks ago in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., featured remarks by four special guests and a panel discussion on why enrolling into the ACA is an important issue.
After being introduced by the moderator, LULAC VP for the Midwest, Darryl Morin; Joe Quinn, Senior Director of Food Policy for Walmart provided a great foundation for the discussion to follow. Touching on the reduction in SNAP benefits that occurred last fall, translating into 36 fewer dollars a month per family, Quinn announced that “No American family should have to choose between food for their children and food they can afford.” He stated that Walmart cares deeply for working Americans who are trying to provide healthy food for their families and he explained the company’s efforts to make it easier for families to identify healthier food options.
Camila Viano, Regional Youth Vice President of LULAC for the Mid-West represented the more than 50 collegiate Emerge Latino Conference members in attendance by providing remarks and sharing why it is important that herself and others in her generation #getcovered.
Remarks by Congressman Raul Ruiz emphasized his support for the Affordable Care Act and encouraging everyone to enroll so that they can have peace of mind. He also shared some of his unique experiences with the United States’ health care system, previously being a doctor himself. Promoting wellness is a key pillar of his life and Ruiz urged for more Spanish language information and an investment into bilingual and culturally competent resources such as more bilingual Navigators.
The Honorable Michele Lujan Grisham’s remarks touched on the many roadblocks that immigrant families face on getting coverage due to the 5 year delay in being eligible to enroll in the exchanges or get assistance from premium tax credits. She proudly announced that she will be introducing the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Bill, a LULAC-sponsored bill which calls for the removal of these barriers to coverage, and asked that LULAC’s membership worked with her to ensure that immigrants have access to health care resources.
Congressman Marc Veasey pledged his support for enrollment events within his district in the state of Texas and for the expansion of Medicaid. 60,000 people in his district alone will be unable to get coverage in his district due to the coverage gap made when the state decided not to expand coverage. Veasey also called for increased information that could be distributed throughout the state in a culturally competent manner. Veasey closed by congratulating the Navigators in Texas who are working hard every day to ensure that people have the information necessary to enroll.
Our final special guest, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Audrey Rowe started off by thanking LULAC members for their work in pushing for funding for SNAP and emphasized that we need to take similar action during the Child Nutrition reauthorization period later this year. Rowe emphasized that legislation and programs such as SNAP, CHIP and WIC are important to ensuring that children have access to healthy foods and that obesity rates continue to fall. The Administrator then encouraged the Collegiate LULAC members in attendance to enter into public service and apply for jobs in the community, state and/or federal governments. Rowe pitched to those in attendance that they get involved with the USDA’s Summer Feeding Program (details on the program can be found in the “Programs” section below) and make it a priority for your community to continue to bring food to children who are eligible for free or reduced cost meals during the school year. She asked that LULAC members join her and ensure that “No child should go hungry in the United States of America.”
Our health conference concluded with a panel of speakers including top leaders in the health field: Vanessa Gonzalez, Director of Latino Leadership and Engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America; Mayra Alvarez, Associate Director of the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, Jose Plaza, National Director of Latino Engagement at Enroll America and Dr. Oralia G. Dominic, LULAC’s National Health Taskforce Chair. The panel’s speakers emphasized the importance of enrolling into the Marketplace and clearly described how many millions of Latinos are eligible for benefits during open enrollment.
Didn't get a chance to come to D.C. and watch the panel in person? Watch the panel online now.