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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Camila Gallardo
(305) 215-4259
cgallardo@nclr.org
As Election Day nears, health care policy experts, community leaders and elected officials to discuss the current state of health care access for Latinos
SAN ANTONIO—On Friday, October 24, 2014 from noon to 2 p.m., NCLR (National Council of La Raza) will join Senator José Rodríguez and the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce in hosting a roundtable forum focused on the state of Latino health access. The Affordable Care Act has expanded health care coverage for Texas Latinos, who ranked at the top of the list of uninsured Americans; Latinos comprise about 50 percent of the state’s uninsured population.
While the implementation of the Affordable Care Act is helping Latinos bridge this coverage gap by offering a variety of options through the Health Insurance Marketplace, many are still not able to afford or qualify for these options. With more than six million uninsured, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the United States. Expanding Medicaid would have allowed for more than one million Texans to access care. Texas’ decision to opt out of Medicaid expansion means a significant number of the state’s residents—including almost 600,000 Latinos—will not qualify for coverage through the Medicaid program.
Latinos comprise a significant portion of the Texas’ labor force; 10 million Latinos reside in the state, the second-largest Hispanic population in the country. Health coverage expansion is critical to the state’s economic growth. Expanding opportunities for health insurance coverage helps ensure a healthy and robust labor force while reducing high-cost expenditures that come as a result of seeking emergency medical treatment.
Just weeks before Election Day, the forum will provide an opportunity for community members to get informed on an issue critical to Latinos in Texas.
The event is open to the press; those wishing to cover the health forum should contact Camila Gallardo at cgallardo@nclr.org or (305) 215-4259.
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHO:
Sonia Troche (Moderator)
Texas Regional Director, NCLR
The Honorable José Rodríguez
Chairman, Senate Hispanic Caucus
The Honorable Veronica Escobar
El Paso County Judge
Salvador Balcorta
CEO, Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
J. Eric Evans
CEO, Sierra Providence Health Network
Irma Estrada, RN
Faculty Associate, Nurse Educator, TTUHSC
Marybeth Stevens
Assistant Vice President, External Affairs and Public Relations, El Paso Electric
Chair, Government Relations Division and Health Care Council, GEPCC
James N. Valenti, FACHE
President and CEO, University Medical Center of El Paso
WHAT: Latino Health Care Access, a Roundtable Forum
WHEN: Friday, October 24, 2014
Noon to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Medical Education Building (MEB), Room 1200
5001 El Paso Drive
El Paso, TX 79905
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