On the eve of the deadline for Open Enrollment, many people who have not registered for coverage have not done so because they still have questions. Groups such as Enroll America have made it a priority in the waning days leading up to the deadline on January 31, 2017, to dispel as many of the myths and answer questions surrounding health coverage. Myth: It isn’t worth it to sign up for coverage. People still need to have coverage for 2017 or they could face steep fines when it is time to file for their income taxes. When Open Enrollment began last November, 100,000 people signed up for coverage on the first day. Any new laws concerning healthcare will more than likely not be implemented in 2017. Myth: I can’t afford the coverage A large number of people who obtain ...
In San Antonio, TX (63.34% Latino population), a coalition of healthcare professionals has banded together to get the word out about the final days of Open Enrollment. EnrollSA has created a series of enrollment events throughout the Bexar County area leading up to the last day to enroll in healthcare coverage for this year, January 31, 2017. Events will be held throughout the city, beginning on Saturday, January 28 leading up till the final day. The events will be bilingual and volunteers on site can help people navigate the enrollment process. 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 looking to simply renew their coverage, they ...
Cancer deaths in the United States have dropped 20% from 1980 to 2014! This is great news, but there are still several “hot spots” where cancer deaths persist despite efforts being made nationally, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study examined 20 million cancer deaths by county location over 24 years. Liver cancer increased by almost 88% nationwide over that span, and clustered along Texas' border with Mexico in largely Latino populations, according to a news report on the research by CNN. Lung cancer deaths “bunched” across the states of Kentucky and Florida, and breast cancer deaths clustered along the Mississippi River and Southern belt. "At the county level, you see huge disparities," Ali Mokdad, the lead author ...
Few groups have benefited more from the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) than Latinos. Since the law went into effect, over 910,000 Latino adults – between the ages of 19 and 26 – who would have previously been without coverage were now eligible to remain on their parents’ plans. Over 4.2 million gained health insurance in that time as well, lowering the rate of Latino uninsured by 7.7%. With the deadline for the latest phase of Open Enrollment coming to a close on January 31, 2017, many are still without coverage. This is partly due to the fact that many do not know what is covered through plans available in the Health Care Marketplace. What Marketplace Plans Cover All plans that are available through the Marketplace cover the same set of “essential health ...
Almost half of all the adults in the United States have at least one chronic medical condition. These conditions include many which disproportionately plague Latinos, such as diabetes and lung disease. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health coverage for chronically ill patients has increased by nearly 5%. While this has shown to be a significant gain, more work needs to be done. A study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine studied adults between the ages of 18 and 64, the largest pool taking part in the Health Insurance Marketplace. “We wanted to see how many people were uninsured and clearly needed health insurance,” said Dr. Hugo Torres, of the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, MA in an interview with USA Today. “We know the prevalence of ...
Three years ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect. Since that time, the uninsured rate in the United States has been significantly reduced to historic lows. From 2013-2016, the rate of uninsured Americans overall has been virtually cut in half and people in all demographics and regions of the country have seen significant gains. Latinos, in particular, have greatly benefited from the new insurance laws. An issue brief released by Enroll America has shown how much Latinos – and all Americans – have benefited from the ACA. According to the brief, uninsured rates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have declined since 2013; about 90% of all counties in the U.S. saw their rate drop by a 25% or more. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to ...
Nearly 12 million people who utilize Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts of over $26 billion on prescription drugs since 2010. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new information showing that millions of senior citizens and people with disabilities continue to benefit on the improvements to Medicare as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to information from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, over 4 million Latinos in the U.S. receive benefits from Medicare and their median income was $12,800 annually. 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. In 2016, over 4.9 ...
Latinas are more prone to certain cancers? Cervical cancer is a big one. But did you know that most cases of cervical cancer among Latinas (and all women) can be prevented? How? Making sure that screenings are done starting at age 21 and women who are ages 21-29 get a Pap test every 3 years, don’t smoke, and encourage young women to get vaccinated now to help make this cancer part of the past. Let's use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 to tweet what all Latinas should know about cervical cancer, including the warning signs and the prevention steps. Follow #SaludTues to join the conversation: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Crush Cervical Cancer!
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: ...
Significant differences in heart disease death rates exist among the three largest U.S. Latino subgroups, suggesting that combining these groups could endanger health for all Latinos, according to new data, Healio reports. The heart disease study examined death data for U.S. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans and found that: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans died of heart disease at younger ages (67 and 68, respectively) than Cubans (77). More Mexicans (19.5%) and Puerto Ricans (16.4%) died at a young age (25-49 years) than Cubans (5.3%) and non-Hispanic whites (6.6%).
Heart disease caused a higher portion of deaths among Cubans.
Puerto Ricans had the highest rates of death from ischemic heart disease.
Mexicans had the highest rates of death from cerebrovascular ...
