FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
Decision provides pathways to health care for millions of Latinos
WASHINGTON, D.C.—NCLR (National Council of La Raza) praised the U.S. Supreme Court decision today to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a 5 to 4 vote.
“Today’s decision is a victory for those of us who believe that health care for all is an essential right, not a luxury,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “The health care legislation was an important step forward and these court challenges were an unfortunate distraction that both distorted the purpose of the law and inhumanely slowed down its implementation. The Supreme Court has spoken. It is time to move forward and make the entire law a reality.”
The Court’s decision upheld implementation of the core of the law, though it limited the federal government’s role in states’ adoption of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. The law will have dramatic implications for Latinos and their ability to gain meaningful access to health care. A minimum of six million Latinos will become newly insured under full expansion of the law—the single-biggest jump in health insurance levels for Latinos in American history. NCLR will continue working to ensure that the benefits of the law are fully realized within the Hispanic community.
“The health reform law that the president and Congress put in place two years ago is already changing lives,” said Murguía. “Now that the law has been upheld, millions more Latinos will no longer have to worry about how to pay for essential health care for their children—our nation’s future workers, taxpayers, and leaders.”
NCLR worked with Congress and the Obama administration on the development of the ACA, and NCLR will continue to work to inform the Latino community on the law’s benefits and how Hispanics can obtain health care coverage.
“NCLR has always fought for the right to affordable health care, and in 2010 we achieved a law that improved health care for those who already had it and provided affordable health coverage for millions more,” Murguía added. “NCLR will fight to ensure these health care reforms are carried out so that millions of Latinos have a better chance not only to obtain health coverage, but to ensure a healthier future.”
In the coming days, NCLR will produce analyses and events explaining the specifics of the laws. Join NCLR and others for a live tweet chat tomorrow (Friday, June 29) at 2:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. PDT on the Court’s health care decision. You can join the conversation using the hashtags #HCRDecision and #HealthJustice.
For more on health care reform and how the ACA benefits the Latino community, visit:
http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/health_and_nutrition/health_care_reform/. An infographic from NCLR is also available and can be reproduced at no cost.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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