Attacks on health care reform endanger Latina health

“Today’s House vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act represents politics at its worst. Attempts to repeal the health care law endanger the very health and lives of Latinas and their families, who are more likely than other groups to face structural barriers that prevent them from accessing health care and preventive services,” said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Since it took effect, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already helped more than 736,000 young Latino/as retain health care coverage under their parents’ plans until they reach the age of 26 and has eliminated discrimination by health insurers against children with pre-existing conditions. In the coming months and years, ACA provisions will expand access to life-saving cervical cancer screenings and other preventive health services, increase support for community health centers and increase Medicaid coverage. Beginning in August, the ACA also provides access to contraception without expensive co-pays, ensuring that every woman can plan the timing and spacing of her children.

“The Affordable Care Act allows us to envision a future where the disproportionate number of barriers to health care that Latinas face will finally begin to crumble. Shortsighted efforts by lawmakers to place politics above the fundamental right to quality, affordable care are a direct attack on Latina health.
 
“We encourage lawmakers to support policies that protect, not threaten, the health of Latinas, including those many immigrants without access to essential care,” González-Rojas said.

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