About the Author

Author Picture

Eric Moreno

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.

Connect with Eric:
Twitter Link

Articles by Eric Moreno

Over 1 Million Take Part in Open Enrollment So Far



The latest Open Enrollment phase for the Marketplace kicked off on November 1. It had been anticipated that many would take advantage of the period to sign up for health insurance. In weeks one and two of this year’s Open Enrollment, more than 1 million people signed up for coverage, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) report. This represents an increase of over 69,000 from last year’s Open Enrollment during the same time period. “We are all in for this Open Enrollment and excited that over 1 million people have already signed up for 2017 coverage through HealthCare.gov,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a statement. “The American people are demonstrating how much they continue to want and need the coverage the ...

Read More

Many Latino College Students Go Hungry



For many college students in the United States, hunger is a surprisingly common problem. Researchers from the University of Connecticut, College and University Food Bank Alliance, and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness surveyed nearly 3,800 students at eight community colleges and 26 four-year universities in 12 states and found startling results, HealthDay News reports. Among the students surveyed, 25% of those in community college and 20% at four-year schools reported frequently being food insecure. Researchers define being food insecure as lacking reliable access to sufficient amounts of affordable, nutritious food. Very low levels of food security qualified the students being surveyed as going “hungry.” When it comes to minority students, including ...

Read More

Report: Many Latinos Live in “Child Care Deserts”


latina girl hugging mom

While the term “child care desert” isn’t widely known, for many Latino families, the ramifications that stem from this lack of affordable, high-quality child care are fast becoming a major concern. A child care desert refers to an area with at least 30 children under the age of 5 with either no child care centers or there were “more than three times as many children under age 5” as there were spaces in centers, the Center for American Progress (CAP) reports. For working parents, finding quality and affordable child care can already be a daunting task; however, for those families living in rural areas, the problem becomes disproportionately worse. The CAP recently released a report examining the location of child care centers across eight states, which made up 20% of the ...

Read More

Preventing Tooth Decay in your Baby


hispanic baby toddler teeth tooth smile

SaludToday Guest Blogger American Academy of Pediatrics Latino children have the highest rates of tooth decay in the U.S., but you can begin early to prevent cavities from ever starting. Baby teeth are important! Yes, they will be replaced later by permanent teeth, but tooth decay, or cavities, is almost completely preventable. The healthy habits you begin with your baby’s first tooth will continue to help as your child grows. What causes tooth decay in babies? Our mouths contain bacteria. The bacteria combine with the foods we eat and beverages we drink to produce acid. That acid harms enamel and damages teeth. How does tooth decay begin? One common way that cavities begin is when food or liquids other than plain water – like milk, formula, juice, and sugar ...

Read More

Deadline for Marketplace Applications is Approaching



New applicants for the Health Marketplace will be able to submit applications beginning November 15. Over 20 million Americans have gained coverage since enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Latinos have been one of the groups that have benefited the most. Latinos, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have been one of the groups that have benefited the most from the ACA. Since it was passed in 2010, over 9 million Latinos have obtained health insurance 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. For those wishing to shop through the Marketplace, they will have until December 1 to submit their ...

Read More

Early College Programs are closing the Gap for Low-Income Students



In early November 2016, the White House released the statistics on the country’s high school graduation rates; the numbers showed the highest graduation rate in history, 83.2% and students of all races and ethnicities showed gains in graduation rates. Many minorities, especially Latinos, showed that they have closed the gap between themselves and their white peers; over the last four years, the number of Latinos graduating from high school has improved from 71% to nearly 78%. Despite several harsh realities in terms of what schools can do, including limited access to “rigorous coursework, individualized support, and high-quality guidance services” as well as there being inequitable funding amongst districts, there are plenty of reasons to be positive, The Undefeated ...

Read More

New Rules Boost Support for Latino Primary & Mental Healthcare



Medicare provides health coverage for most Americans when they reach age 65 or have been receiving Social Security disability benefits for 24 months. Medicare also currently covers a portion of the health care costs of over 55 million Americans, including almost 4.1 million Latinos. New rules passed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will now add even more support to Latinos seeking primary and mental healthcare services, Healthcare Dive reports. CMS recently finalized the 2017 Physician Fee Schedule final rule which recognizes the importance of primary care by allowing for improved payment for chronic care management and behavioral health. The new final rule is part of a broad strategy to create a healthcare system that offers “better care, smarter spending, ...

Read More

Latino Success Stories Can Help All Students



More and more Latinos are heading to college than ever. In looking for innovative ways to help all students succeed, colleges should take closer looks at some of the best practices that have helped Latino students in particular find success, Excelencia in Education said. Studying the gaps in educational attainment between Latinos and other groups and the ways several colleges with large Latino enrollment groups have sought to help them, Excelencia in Education has found that these innovations don’t have to be based in new technology, but rather in evidence-based models. One such model, the Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program, created by a consortium of public schools and universities in Northern Virginia, uses a “holistic educational pathway” for student success. The program ...

Read More

Pennsylvania Group Helps Latino College Students



Many millennials have been the beneficiary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday and before June 2007 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and exemption from deportation. However, many young immigrants “feel alone” or are unaware of their options during the immigration process, Al Día News, reports. Obstacles ranging from a lack of access and information to a lack of healthcare and public schools impede the academic progress of many undocumented students. Even a lack of knowledge about college or college-access programs have been obstacles for many. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, ...

Read More