America Needs Bipartisan Agreement on Health Insurance

USA - español

23 million losing insurance is unacceptable

- "Insurance for everybody" pledge must be honored and will take both sides of the aisle working together in the best interests of the nation.

- Priority outcome should be that no person with insurance loses coverage and currently uninsured gain access; including the almost one-third of Hispanics currently uninsured.

- Capping and cutting Medicaid is the wrong approach.

News provided by

National Alliance for Hispanic Health

May 25, 2017, 14:46 ET

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "The Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) report that 23 million would lose insurance under the House healthcare reform bill is news that no one finds acceptable. We must work so everyone can have health insurance; any discussion must start there," said Jane L. Delgado, PhD, MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance), the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

"The pledge of 'insurance for everybody' should be the rallying cry on both sides of the aisle. The one thing that everybody in Congress has agreed on is that our system is not perfect, so it is time to start working in a bipartisan fashion and serve the interests of the nation." emphasized Dr. Delgado.

Among actions that the Alliance emphasized would benefit the nation, are:

Rescuing the working uninsured currently trapped in the coverage gap (having too high an income to qualify for Medicaid, but too low an income to afford insurance premiums);
Expanding Medicaid, instead of capping and cutting it;
Market reforms to bring insurance companies back into abandoned markets; and,
Strengthening and expanding the network of community health centers that have a proven capacity to deliver culturally proficient, quality services.

"The outcome of 23 million people losing insurance is unacceptable. Now is the time to fix our nation's health care system to ensure access for all. Bipartisan action on this national priority is what is needed," concluded Dr. Delgado.

About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (The Alliance)
The Alliance is the nation's foremost science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the best health outcomes for all. For more information, visit http://www.healthyamericas.org or call the Alliance's Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline at 1-866-783-2645.

SOURCE National Alliance for Hispanic Health