Eric Moreno is a Content Curator with the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. He specializes in covering the topics of health equity and family and social support. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MA from Gonzaga University.
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) came into law, millions of Americans have obtained coverage. Millions also no longer face denials or higher costs because of their medical histories. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that, between 2010 and 2014, the share of uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions fell by 22%. “Today, thanks to Affordable Care Act protections, the uninsured rate is at its lowest level in history and millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions like asthma or cancer no longer have to worry about being denied coverage because of their medical history,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell in a statement. “This is clear and measurable progress, and we shouldn’t turn the clock back to a time when people were denied ...
As of December 31, 2016, 8.8 million Americans had signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov since open enrollment began on November 1, 2016. This is up from the 8.6 million during Open Enrollment in 2015. Latinos have benefitted more than just about any other racial or ethnic group since the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Over 4.2 million Latinos (ages 18-64) have gained health insurance coverage, lowering the uninsured rate among Latinos by 7.7%. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. “With 8.8 million Americans signed up for coverage through HealthCare.gov, more than last year at this time, it is clear that Americans want ...
Recent national numbers regarding unemployment and poverty have been promising. For the first time since the Great Recession, Americans across the country have looked to be “better off” financially and economically. However, in one area of Southern California, those numbers have proven to not ring entirely true. In San Diego County (33% Latino population), the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate fell from 8.8% in 2014 to 4.3% in 2016. Despite these circumstances, the Census Bureau released data showing that despite there being more jobs, more people are falling into poverty. Analyzing the numbers between 2006-2010 and 2011-2015, the countywide poverty rate grew from 12.3% to 14.5%. “The thing that people really don’t realize regarding poverty and ...
Barriers to health have long existed for Latinos due to numerous factors, including economic concerns, and a lack of access. Often times, Latinos have not been able to get the treatments that they need for many serious medical conditions, especially mental or behavioral issues. A new policy from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) looks to help ease this burden. CMS has adopted a new policy on “Collaborative Care,” adding behavioral health care management and consultations with a mental health specialist to primary care. It will now be easier for all patients to get all of the treatment that they need. Collaborative Care, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, has been found to improve quality of care, patient satisfaction, and both physical and ...
Being a first-time parent can often be a stressful experience. The uncertainty about what is or is not a medical concern often causes parents stress and greatly impacts their finances. A new study has found that a home visit program for new parents helped reduce their use of medical services for their infants, and this in turn helped out parents in other ways. The study, based in New Mexico (47.03% Latino population), included 244 first-time parents who were randomly assigned to either a control group that didn’t get any additional help or a group enrolled in a program where healthcare workers and parent educators made home visits during the first year of their child’s life. Typically, an infant is expected to have seven well-child visits during the first year, according to ...
More mothers are joining the workforce than ever before, especially Latinas. In 2015, 42% of all U.S. moms were the “breadwinner” (earning at least half of their family’s income) for their households, and 22% were co-breadwinners, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. The report found that, regardless of the family composition, the vast majority of adults with “custodial children” are part of the labor force. "With the majority of women working for pay, and their earnings being so vital to the economic well-being of their families, the days of full-time, stay-at-home mothers are long past," according to the report. "Women are crucial economic actors for their families, local communities, and the overall U.S. economy." The rates of breadwinning ...
The latest phase of Open Enrollment for the Healthcare Marketplace will wrap up on Jan. 31, 2017. As of last December, over 4 million people had selected plans using HealthCare.gov since Open Enrollment began November 1. This includes over 1.1 million new consumers and 2.9 million renewing their coverage. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. Latinos have been one of the groups who have benefited the most from the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Over 4 million have obtained health care coverage and have reduced their rate of uninsured individuals to historic lows. “Millions of Americans have ...
Birth defects can be a hard topic to talk about. But the reality is that many newborns struggle with long-term health issues. That's especially true for Latinos, as Latinas have up to a 40% higher risk of of having babies born with a birth defect called Neural Tube Defects (NTDs). The good news is that some birth defects are preventable. As January is Birth Defects Prevention Month, let's use #SaludTues on Jan. 10, 2017, to tweet ways Latinas and all moms-to-be can prevent birth defects, from proper prenatal care to supplementing folic acid before and during pregnancy: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Birth Defects Prevention Month: What Latinas Need to Know”
DATE/TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
...
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University recently identified a “culturally sensitive” set of tools that can be applied by pediatricians to help them screen Latino patients for mental health symptoms. Anxiety, depression, and aggression are some of the mental health issues that plague many Latinos and often go undiagnosed and untreated. The tools, which are freely available, and take less than 10 minutes to use are in Spanish and can help assess a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems among Latino kids. The investigators from Johns Hopkins encourage primary care pediatricians to consider utilizing four mental health screening tools: he Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC)-17-question version, the PSC-35-question version, the pictorial PSC-35, and the Strengths and ...
