El Pueblo’s Voice Heard in the Health Care Debate
October 15, 2009Health reform has become a hot topic in the national dialogue and La Clínica is adding its voice to the debate. Current proposed reforms may help native-born Americans, but many immigrant patients could still face barriers to care. Legal residents would still have to wait five years to enroll in Medicaid and undocumented immigrants would most likely not be able to benefit from federal subsidies to help pay for insurance.
Through advocacy in Letters to the Editor and work with national coalitions, La Clínica has strived to communicate that health care is a human right and reform should create a truly accessible health care system for all people in this country.
Even with its limitations, reform can benefit members of the La Clínica community. First, patients would have more access to health insurance and to a wider range of programs and specialty services. An expansion of the Medicaid program would help more uninsured patients get health coverage, as well as provide more services for some of those on DC's Alliance health care.
Second, as an institution, La Clínica could benefit because more funds would be available to support its work. For example, the bill from the House of Representatives sets aside specific funds (between $1-6 billion per year) for community health centers across the nation. With additional funds, it could expand its services and strengthen its programs.
Third, the La Clínica community as a whole could benefit because any reform bill will most likely include programs that seek to prevent disease and to eliminate inequality in health outcomes in low-income and minority communities.
It is important to realize that health reform is not over. In the coming months, Congress will decide what will be included and what will be left out of the final reform bill. Just as La Clínica has been doing with its advocacy work, now is the time to raise your voice and share your ideas about what you want to see in health insurance reform. Call your Representatives in Congress, encourage friends and family members to get involved and attend events relating to health reform. With your efforts, alongside La Clínica's work, hopefully a bill will be passed that brings true benefits to La Clínica and its patients.