LULAC Councils Take Action with the New Health Care Law
By: Declan Kingland, Health Programs Coordinator
Published in the LULAC News winter 2014 edition.
The Department of Health and Human Services recently referred to the outreach for the Affordable Care Act as a “grassroots effort” and that the awareness is not being spread through a campaign, but instead through a group of devoted advocates raising awareness through town halls and small meetings. As a volunteer-based grassroots organization, and a Champion for Coverage, LULAC has been a big part of the outreach effort, both at the local and
national levels. The Latinos Living Healthy team has worked with our membership to ensure that the Latino community has the materials necessary to make informed decisions in the Marketplace and to choose between the new plans.
On September 22, 2013, LULAC hosted our annual Feria de Salud in Los Angeles, California, where representatives from Covered California assisted 800 individuals by answering their questions and providing educational materials. On October 28, LULAC hosted a live streamed bilingual health town hall at the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, D.C. where health experts and community leaders discussed the ACA, the open enrollment period and provided information about the Health Insurance Marketplace. If you missed the original airing, the town hall can still be viewed at www.LULAC. org/live.
On November 4, LULAC and AARP started a series of ACA informational sessions for the uninsured and underinsured in Houston, Texas. This is of particular importance, not only because Texas has one of the highest Latino populations in the nation, but also because in 2011 Texas had the highest rate of uninsurance; almost 25% according to the Houston Chronicle. The marketplace is an opportune method of gaining sufficient insurance coverage in
Texas as the Marketplace monthly premiums there are expected to be lower than the national average.
LULAC D.C. Council members Oscar and Cintya Renderos met personally with President Obama on October 1st and were present during his speech in the Rose Garden announcing the beginning of Open Enrollment. LULAC councils have worked with their local marketplace implementers in a volunteer capacity to spread awareness of the benefits provided by the ACA and how those benefits can be accessed and fully taken advantage of. Whether it is meeting with community members or inviting mayors, health representatives and other leaders to events, LULAC members have been integral in spreading the word on the importance and the benefits of the new health care law.
We are committed to these outreach efforts until the open enrollment period ends on March 31st, 2014.
Be an Advocate for the Uninsured
A series of materials have been developed so that our members can better work in their local communities. A bilingual manual, fact sheets, and power point presentations are available online at www.LULAC.org/programs/health/latinos_ACA/ and in hard copy. Contact us at LatinosLivingHealthy@LULAC.org for more assistance.