National Hispanic Medical Association Supports Universal Health Coverage

 WASHINGTON, -- President Obama's vision for

health care reform will provide more security and stability to those who have
health insurance. But for the National Hispanic Medical Association, which
represents doctors across the nation who care for Hispanic patients, what is
more important is that the President's health reform  will provide insurance
to those who don't have it and slow the growth of health care costs for
families, businesses, and the government.

Hispanics currently number 50 million or 15% of the population, the largest
ethnic group in the country. As a young population, Hispanics are the backbone
of our future economy. Yet, our Hispanic communities face the greatest
proportion of diseases, like diabetes and obesity and depression, and live in
poverty with few choices for healthy lifestyles. Hispanics also face the
challenge of being the group with the greatest uninsured, with three out of
five under the age of 65 without health insurance. 

The National Hispanic Medical Association President Dr. Elena Rios states, "We
strongly support the health care reform plan of President Obama and we
recognize his strong commitment to affordable universal insurance with a
public option. We know that Hispanics stand to gain the most because having
insurance will mean, starting with this generation, Hispanics will have less
disease and health care costs and will be more productive in their
communities."

Health care reform bills have already passed 4 out of 5 Congress committees
and call for the transformation of a health system to focus on prevention
services without costs, so that more Americans can live healthier lives, and
public health targeted to needy communities with a national strategy that
eliminates health disparities under the leadership of the U.S. DHHS Office of
Minority Health. 

NHMA is advocating for health care reforms that create more responsive health
care services for Hispanics - primary care for all, language services as an
insurance benefit for hospitals and medical care, cultural competence training
for all providers, increased Hispanic doctors and nurses, medical malpractice
reform, and the elimination of the current 5-year waiting period for eligible
persons for Medicaid and for low income subsidies.


The National Hispanic Medical Association is a nonprofit association
representing Hispanic physicians. The NHMA mission is to improve the health of
Hispanics and other underserved. For more information go to www.nhmamd.org.  


SOURCE  National Hispanic Health Foundation

Ed Colon of the National Hispanic Medical Association, +1-202-628-5895