Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) joined National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, NCLR’s Institute for Hispanic Health, and National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health to highlight how Senate Republicans’ attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would disproportionately affect the Latino community and significantly roll back the progress Latinos have made under the ACA. Despite the Senate GOP delaying a vote until after the July 4 recess, the Senators and Latino advocacy groups called for continued momentum against the disastrous bill.
“One of the dangerous consequences often overlooked by the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act is its disproportionate impact on minority communities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “With over a quarter of Nevadans identifying as Latinos, the Latino community has been an integral part of our economy and society. Thanks to the ACA, Latino Nevadans have made significant gains and improved access to health care, with Latino children experiencing the largest decrease in uninsured children of any state in the country. But Republicans are committed to repealing the law and taking away essential services that programs like Medicaid and Planned Parenthood provide, risking both basic and life-saving access to healthcare that Latino communities rely on. These consequences affect more than just Latinos. Expanding access to healthcare for all Americans despite age, gender or race will provide our communities with the support they need live a healthy life, and to continue to contribute meaningfully in our communities.”
“The delayed vote on the Senate GOP proposal is a direct result of the actions of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and showed up to town halls across the country to demand their elected leaders protect their access to health coverage,” said Rita Carreón, Deputy Vice President, NCLR Institute for Hispanic Health. “But by no means is this the end; there’s no doubt that the efforts to repeal the ACA will continue, and so all of us must continue to do our part to ensure healthcare isn’t stripped away from the over 70 million Americans, 18 million of whom are Latino, who rely on Medicaid. This bill is an attack on our children and families, and is an excuse to give away massive tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of the majority of Americans.”
More on the impact of Trumpcare on the Latino community in Nevada:
- From 2013 to 2015 under the Affordable Cara Act (ACA), the uninsured rate for non-elderly Latino Nevadans fell from 34 percent to 19 percent. For Latino children in Nevada during the same period, the uninsured rate declined from 20 percent to 10.7 percent—a drop of almost half, the largest decrease in uninsured children of any state in the country.
- Cuts to Medicaid would disproportionality impact women of color. 17 million Latinas now have coverage for free preventive services. Between 2012 and 2014, the uninsured rate among Latinas fell by 9%. Repealing the ACA would undo all of these gains.
- Latinas have the highest rates of cervical cancer in the United States – one of the most preventable cancers. Coverage for preventive services without cost sharing removes barriers to care, enabling Latinas to access essential health care like cervical cancer screenings. Under the Senate Trumpcare bill, these critical, life-saving preventative care services would be lost.
- Almost 22 percent of Planned Parenthood patients are Latinos – that’s more than 575,000 people.
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