Happy Anniversary to the Affordable Care Act!

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law, opening the door to new opportunities for affordable, quality health coverage for millions of uninsured people. On the ACA’s fourth anniversary, we want to not only recognize that historic day but also highlight how the law has benefited millions of Americans, including Latinos, and encourage those who are eligible to enroll by March 31.

Even before health insurance marketplaces across the country began operations the Affordable Care Act was already providing a better health care experience to Latinos, including the insured, the elderly, the disabled, and young adults.

• An estimated 8.2 million Latinos with private insurance now have access to expanded preventive services with no cost sharing; 72 preventive services, including well-child visits, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, Pap tests and mammograms for women, and flu shots for children and adults, were declared free of charge for patients.
• Nearly one million Latinos between ages 19 and 25 already have coverage under their parents’ employer-sponsored or individually purchased health plans thanks to the ACA.
• 3.9 million elderly and disabled Latinos who receive health coverage from Medicare have access to many preventive services with no cost sharing, including annual wellness visits with personalized prevention plans, colorectal cancer and obesity screenings, and mammograms.
• Consumer protections have been heavily bolstered. For example, insurance companies can no longer deny dependent coverage to a family with a very sick child.
• Increased funding has been made available to more than 1,100 community health centers, which will increase capacity to serve more patients; one in every three patients at a health center is Latino.

With enrollment having reached the five million mark and only a few days left for the community to enroll, it’s critical that those who are eligible don’t miss the boat. We know that Latinos receive the fewest offers for employer-based coverage, so it’s critically important that our community take advantage of these new opportunities to get covered.

NCLR is committed to ensuring that the promise of the ACA reaches all who are eligible, including millions of Latinos. Don’t delay! Go to healthcare.gov or cuidadodesalud.gov to speak with an enrollment specialist. You can also call 1-800-318-2596. English and Spanish operators are available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The ACA is a historic opportunity and our community can’t be left behind.