Mar 4, 2015 - LATINO LEADERS WARN KING v BURWELL CASE COULD TURN THE CLOCK BACK ON LATINO HEALTH

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
March 4, 2015

LATINO LEADERS WARN KING v BURWELL CASE COULD TURN THE CLOCK BACK ON LATINO HEALTH
Adverse decision would eliminate the Affordable Care Act's subsidies in at least 34 states, making health insurance unaffordable for 1.2 million Latinos

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments today in King v Burwell, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 39 of the nation's preeminent Latino organizations, warned that should King prevail, the cost of health insurance will increase, putting it out of reach for 1.2 million Latinos.

A ruling in favor of the petitioner, David King, would end the Affordable Care Act's subsidies, known as premium tax credits, that are offered to middle and lower income individuals who purchase health insurance in any one of the 34 states that did not establish their own health insurance marketplace and instead have a marketplace, or exchange, run by the federal government. According to a report by the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, about 9.3 million people in those 34 states are at risk of losing subsidies and about 8.2 million people would become uninsured, 1.2 million of whom are Latino. In addition, millions more Latinos not yet enrolled would lose eligibility for subsidies, putting affordable health coverage out of their reach for the foreseeable future.

The Affordable Care Act has had a particularly positive impact on Latinos. The percentage of Latinos without health insurance dropped during the first enrollment period from 36 percent to 23 percent, according to a Commonwealth Fund analysis. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2.6 million Latino adults under the age of 65 gained health insurance coverage between the start of the Affordable Care Act's initial open enrollment period in October 2013 and June 2014.

"If the Supreme Court decides to take health care subsidies away from people, the real-life consequences would be disastrous and cruel. Millions would lose health insurance coverage and access to the medical care they need. This will have a particularly devastating impact in the Latino community, where we have worked so hard to bring down the number of uninsured," said Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

"If the Supreme Court votes against the Administration, millions of Latinos and others will be competing for healthcare at clinics, hospitals and medical practices with dwindling charity care ---and more likely, will go without needed health and mental health care in our communities, spreading more infectious diseases," said Dr. Elena Rios, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association.

"With King v Burwell, the health and well-being of Latinas hangs in the balance. Nearly two million Latinas could lose eligibility for tax credits that make health care affordable, and if the ACA crumbles the effects would be far-reaching and devastating. We hope the court upholds these important ACA benefits so that we can continue to improve health, dignity and justice for Latinas, our families, and our communities," said Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

"Healthcare coverage is critical to a healthy and productive life," said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President, NCLR. "The ACA provides a building block that at long last brings the opportunity for quality and affordable healthcare coverage to millions of Americans including Latinos. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of King would place healthcare again out of reach for millions and jeopardize the health and economic well-being of our nation."

"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," said Brent Wilkes, LULAC National Executive Director.

"The nation's farmworkers – the people laboring on farms and ranches to cultivate and harvest our food – earn low wages and rarely receive health insurance from their employers. Farmworkers and their family members face many health challenges, including jobs with high fatality rates, and obstacles to obtaining health insurance and access to culturally competent care. We hope that the Supreme Court does not place even more barriers to health care for farmworker families," said Bruce Goldstein, President, Farmworker Justice.

"Access to quality healthcare has been a longstanding challenge for Latinos, resulting in devastating health disparities. Since the first open enrollment period began, we have seen an unprecedented drop in the percentage of Hispanics without insurance coverage, a success fundamentally linked to the availability of tax credits for our community. We hope the Supreme Court recognizes that continued access to premium tax credits for residents of the thirty-four states that rely on the federal marketplace is a long-term investment in the health of our nation," said Jose Calderon, President, Hispanic Federation.

###

Established in 1991, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit www.nationalhispanicleadership.org and LatinosUnited.org and follow @NHLAgenda. The Hispanic Education Coalition unites 14 organizations dedicated to improving educational opportunities and outcomes for the more than 54 million Latinos living in the United States and Puerto Rico.