Sebelius Presses Latinos to Pay for Health Care Law
Lea la version en español aquí.
For Immediate Release
February 17, 2014
Media Contact: Brian Faughnan, 571-257-3309 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173
Sebelius Presses Latinos to Pay for Health Care Law
(Washington, D.C.) – With just six weeks left before the March 31 deadline to enroll for coverage under the new health care law, the Administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius are pressing Latinos to comply. Despite "robust outreach efforts" and partnerships with some media outlets, people are continuing to reject the law. Today Secretary Sebelius traveled to Florida to encourage Hispanics in that region to purchase policies. Without greater participation from young and healthy Hispanics, the health care exchanges may not be viable.
With enrollment lagging far behind initial projections, some analysts are asking if the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is "unraveling." Some in Congress and the insurance industry are pushing for changes to the law that would make legal some policies that were popular with consumers, but which did not comply with mandates established under the law. These "copper" plans would be less expensive than those currently available, but offer less comprehensive coverage.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:
"If you have a good product that people need, and that you're offering at a fair price, people will buy it. It should not require a legal requirement backed up by a tax penalty and a high-pressure sales campaign. Simply put, this Administration is playing catch-up because the law was not designed to meet the needs of the Hispanic community to start with. It has become yet another economic barrier in their struggle to make ends meet. And the situation is not helped by the failure to provide a functioning Spanish-language site from day one.
It's time to go back to the drawing board and start with reforms that expand choices, reduce prices, and strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. Rather than trying to force Latinos and other consumers to bend in order to help the law, the law needs to change in order to help consumers."
For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 571-257-3309 orSteven Cruz, 202-578-6173.
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