Enrollment Of Latinos In ObamaCare “Has Fallen Strikingly Below The Hopes Of The Law’s Proponents.” “But so far, enrollment of Latinos has fallen strikingly below the hopes of the law’s proponents, accounting for 20 percent or fewer of those who had signed up on the state-run health insurance exchange by the end of December. Now, state officials are rushing to expand marketing efforts and hire additional Spanish-speaking staff, hoping to sharply increase that number by March 31, when open enrollment in the new insurance plans ends.” (Jennifer Medina and Abby Goodnough, “States Struggle To Add Latinos To Health Rolls,” The New York Times, 2/14/14)
In States With Large Hispanic Populations Such As California, Arizona, And Texas, Latino Enrollments Have Been Underwhelming. “Enrollment problems are playing out in other states with large Hispanic populations as well, including Arizona and Texas, counselors who work with immigrants said. But California stands out as the most troubling case, proponents of the law say, because it has the most Latinos of any state and has worked hard to enroll them.” (Jennifer Medina and Abby Goodnough, “States Struggle To Add Latinos To Health Rolls,” The New York Times, 2/14/14)
The Bungled Rollout Of ObamaCare’s Spanish Website And The Lack Of Spanish Applications Contributed To Low Latino Enrollment. “Many critics blame language for the slow start among Latinos —Covered California did not offer applications in Spanish until the end of December, and the Spanish-language website was littered with translation errors for weeks after its start. Others say there are not enough counselors to provide the kind of personal attention needed by many people who have never had health insurance.” (Jennifer Medina and Abby Goodnough, “States Struggle To Add Latinos To Health Rolls,” The New York Times, 2/14/14)
For Latino’s That Shopped For Coverage On The Exchange, The Premiums Were Too High To Enroll According To The President Of Yuma, Arizona’s Regional Center For Border Health. “Amanda Aguirre, the president of the Regional Center for Border Health in Yuma, Ariz., said many Latinos there felt the private plans available through the exchange were too expensive, even if they qualified for federal subsidies. ‘They still feel it’s a very high premium, like it’s another car payment or another mortgage payment, and they will not accept it,’ Ms. Aguirre said. ‘They go uncovered.’” (Jennifer Medina and Abby Goodnough, “States Struggle To Add Latinos To Health Rolls,” The New York Times, 2/14/14)
FLASHBACK: The Obama Administration Is Counting On Latinos Being “Key To The Success” Of ObamaCare And “The Administration Is Doing Everything It Can To Make Sure That Latinos [Enroll].” “Just as Latinos were crucial to President Barack Obama’s re-election success in 2012, they are now key to the success of his health law. And the administration is doing everything it can to make sure that Latinos, like the Velandias, enroll. The administration announced this week that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will be making the rounds on Spanish-language media outlets to discuss the health law and unveiled the newly revamped CuidadoDeSalud.gov, the Spanish version of HealthCare.gov.” (Jenny Gold, “Latino Enrollment Key To Success Of Health Law Marketplaces,” Kaiser Health News, 6/25/13)
The Administration’s Plan To Sign Up 7 Million Americans Online, “Hinges On Latinos Signing Up For Coverage — Especially The Young And Healthy, According To Senior Administration Officials.” “In remarks to the news media, slated to be given in San Jose, the president will lay out his strategy for enrolling at least 7 million Americans in the new online health insurance marketplaces in 2014. That plan hinges on Latinos signing up for coverage — especially the young and healthy, according to senior administration officials.” (Jenny Gold, “Latinos Key To Obama’s Health Law Strategy,” Kaiser Health News, 6/7/13)
In June, President Obama Delivered Remarks Directed At The Latino Community On The Importance They Played In Signing Up For ObamaCare. OBAMA: “The 13 insurance companies that were chosen by Covered California have unveiled premiums that were lower than anybody expected. And those who can’t afford to buy private insurance will get help reducing their out-of-pocket premiums even further with the largest health care tax cut for working families and small businesses in our history. So about 2.6 million Californians — nearly half of whom are Latinos — will qualify for tax credits that will, in some cases, lower their premiums a significant amount. Now, none of this is a surprise. This is the way that the law was designed to work. But since everybody has been saying how it’s not going to happen, I think it’s important for us to recognize and acknowledge this is working the way it’s supposed to. We’ve seen similar good news, by the way, not just here in California but in Oregon and Washington. In states that are working hard to implement this law properly, we’re seeing it work for people — for middle-class families, for consumers.” (President Obama, Statement, San Jose, CA, 6/7/13)