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Administration Pushes Young Hispanic Men to Enroll

 

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Administration Pushes Young Hispanic Men to Enroll

Focus on Spanish-Language Media Continues

(Washington, D.C.) – For weeks the Administration has used Spanish-language media to encourage Latinos to purchase policies under the new health care law. With two weeks left in the enrollment period, that trend continues, as the President appears on Univision’s Locura Deportiva, while ESPN Deportes will host both the White House Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Labor. This sales campaign appears aimed at getting young Hispanic men, in particular, to buy policies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. Unless more young and healthy people purchase policies at inflated prices, the system may be destabilized.

The President recently appeared in a town hall sponsored by Spanish-language media, where he responded to concerns about the cost of policies. Univision has also provided a venue for the White House to attack critics of the law. Despite this high-pressure campaign, Latinos continue to enroll at a lower rate than other demographic groups.

Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:

"Desperately needing Latinos to improve woeful ACA enlistment numbers, President Obama is now devoting unprecedented time appearing on Spanish language media. His efforts push our young people into paying more in premiums while they are told by the President to 'prioritize' their personal budgets by setting aside other badly needed purchases such as cable or cellphone plans. This is unfair, but it’s an essential part of a health care overhaul that is costing America $2 trillion. 

At the same time, there is tremendous confusion about a law that is changing by the day. While the White House publicly says there will be no delay of the mandate that forces people to buy insurance, the Administration has quietly published broad exceptions to it. Consumers do not know who is exempt from the mandate and who is not. The White House should also explain the recent change that allows insurers to make more of a profit by participating in the system. These ongoing changes confuse consumers and undercut faith in the law. It’s time for an open and honest discussion about a law that is not working as promised.”

For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173