March Health News
Health Awareness:
Did you know that solid fats and added sugars add calories to food but few or no nutrients? That's why they are called empty calories.
Empty calories come from many sources and are commonly found in desserts, sodas and candies. Empty calories should not be a major part of your diet; in fact, it is recommended that less than 15% of your daily calories come from empty calories. Instead, the average American sees 35% of their caloric intake coming from empty sources.
To cut back on empty calories consider choosing foods and drinks with little or no added sugars or solid fats, select products that do have these less often, and when you do consume them, choose a small portion.
The Affordable Care Act:
Continuing the fight for better access to care for all Latinos
Luis Torres, LULAC National Director of Policy and Legislation was featured in The Hill Newspaper in an article about the importance of reaching out to the Latino community when it comes to outreach for the Affordable Care Act.In the article, Director Torres discusses that although the ACA is a great and important step, the fact remains that there are other factors that are also prohibitive to a community engaging in various systems. LULAC is going to continue to let people know that these new, affordable insurance plans cover things that are important to women and families.
In addition to the Affordable Care Act, there are things that we can all do to help our loved ones and our communities, including scheduling regular check-ups, contacting a doctor when something doesn’t seem normal, and checking in with our loved ones about their health.
Read the full article here.
Latino Leaders Warn King v Burwell Case Could Turn the Clock Back on Latino Health
LULAC's Executive Director had the following to say about this case currently being reviewed by the Supreme Court:
“This case is yet another attempt to undermine the health care law and it has the potential to roll back health care access for millions of Americans. If the court sides with King, a possible 9.5 million Americans in 34 states will once again face the consequences of a lack of insurance; postponed surgeries, skipped medications and medical bankruptcy. LULAC and our partners have been working to connect Latino families with the insurance they want, but cannot afford. In many cases, paying for health coverage without financial assistance is simply not an option.”
Read the full NHLA press release here.
Open Enrollment
Last month, LULAC young adults attended the Healthy Young America Conference and met with Secretary Burwell of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Open Enrollment for 2015 ended on February 15, 2015 but it is not too late to get covered!
There is a Special Enrollment Period from March 15 through April 30 for families who did not have coverage in 2014 and are subject to paying the fee. This special enrollment period is designed to allow such individuals the opportunity to get covered for the remainder of the year and avoid additional fees for 2015.
If you have not gotten covered take the opportunity to get covered now and paying the fine in the process.
If you are unsure whether or not you are required to have health insurance coverage, you can determine your exemption status by visiting Healthcare.gov or Cuidadodesalud.gov.
Your Tax Return and the ACA
When you file your income tax returns this year, you will have to indicate for the first time whether or not you have coverage.
If you have coverage through your employer, parent or private insurance, all you have to do is click a box to indicate that you were covered.
If you received subsidies, you must file a tax return,even if you would otherwise not have to because your income is too low.
If you did not have insurance, you will have to pay the individual mandate. This tax penalty is 1% of your yearly household income or $95 per person, whichever is greater. Next year, these numbers increase to 2%of your annual income or $325 per person.
Remember, undocumented individuals and people with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) are exempt from this requirement and do not have to pay the penalty for being uninsured. You may also be exempt if you have a very low annual income or if you qualify for a hardship exemption.
If you purchased insurance through the Marketplace, you will receive a Form 1095A. The information on this form is necessary to complete Form 8962 (Premium Tax Credit (PTC)) which must be filed with your tax return.
When you file your taxes, the subsidies (advanced premium tax credits) you received to help pay your insurance premiums will be reevaluated. The annual income you supplied when you applied for health insurance in the Marketplace will be compared to the income supplied in your tax return.
If your final income is higher, you may have to repay a portion of the subsidies, and if you’re final income is lower, you may receive a great subsidy in the form of a higher tax return.
For more information on the ACA and your taxes please click here
Advocacy
Education and Health
- Research shows that education and poverty are two key drivers of health.
- Education can decrease obesity. Learning to make healthier versions of family dishes, increasing fruits and veggies in diet. Latino kids ages 2-19 are more obese/overweight (38.9%) than White (28.6%) and Black (35.2%) children.
- Mental health disparities severely impact the mental health of Latino students which affects their education.
- Good attendance, enabled by good health, is more likely to lead to higher educational attainment.
- Supporting healthy school to be the norm and not the exception. Healthy meals, healthy drinks, and active play.
Read the full tweetchat on Salud Today's Storify here.
Cervical Cancer
LULAC, the National Cancer Institute, Salud Today and other partners shed some light on cervical cancer and how to prevent it. Highlights of the twitter chat include:
- Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the cervix divide without control and invade other tissues.
- HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease; and it is a major cause of cervical cancer. About 70% of women and men carry the HPV virus within 2 years of being sexually active.
- 6 in 10 cervical cancers occur in women who have never received a pap test or have not been tested in the past five years.
- Latinas develop cervical cancer more than any other racial/ethnic group (other than Vietnamese women).
- Prevent HPV by receiving all three vaccines.
- Get tested to prevent HPV” the HPV test and Pap test can detect or prevent cervical cancer.
- The ACA ensures that cervical cancer screenings are covered by all providers.
More information on cervical cancer is available in both English and Spanish.
To check out the whole twitter chat, read the Storify.
Super Madres Against Superbugs
Read the full article link here.
Mom's Matter in our Fight Against Climate Change
For Women's History Month, EPA Administrator McCarthy released a blog asking mothers to fight for the environment and their children's health.
"This March marks Women’s History Month; a time to recognize the unwavering strength of the mothers coming together to organize, speak out, and stand up for the health of their children. With 1-in-10 children in the U.S. today already dealing with asthma—and even higher rates in communities of color—we must do all that we can to reduce harmful exposure. That’s why EPA’s effort to set first-ever limits on our biggest source of pollution, power plants, is so important. And the EPA is proud to work with mothers like us around the country, compelled to action on behalf of our kids’ health—and the health of generations to come."
Read the full blog at the EPA in English or Spanish.