Several barriers affect Latinos when it comes to accessing quality health care. Finances, communication, and transportation are three of the most prevalent issues. In North Carolina, these issues, especially communication, are especially acute. Latinos who do not speak English often have to pay extra in rural areas of North Carolina to have a translator with them at their doctor’ “Probably one of the biggest problems [at the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry (GHCCM)] is communication,” said Sue Troutman, a registered nurse at GHCCM. “If they don’t speak good English, they miss things. Sometimes they don’t know what’s available and that’s partially to the translation barrier.” Even when translators are on staff, the possibility exists that something is ...
More Latinos have access to the internet than a few years ago and the digital divide between Latinos and Whites “is now at its narrowest point since 2009,” according to results from a study by Pew Research Center. The study shows that internet access among Latinos increased from 64% to 84% between 2009 and 2015. ”In 2015, immigrant Latinos made up about half (52%) of all adult Latino internet users, up from 44% in 2009. And Spanish-dominant Latinos made up 32% of all Latino internet users in 2015, up from 20% in 2009. In both cases, these shares closely match each group’s share among the adult Latino population overall,” the study authors wrote. Other key findings include: • 80% of Latino adults access the internet from a mobile device
• 46% of Latinos access ...
New research released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has determined that if the 19 states that have not yet currently expanded Medicaid benefits were to do so in 2017, up to over 5 million fewer people would go uninsured. The research RWJF utilized for the report is based on Medicaid and Healthcare Marketplace data. The states where the largest drops would occur are Texas, Georgia, and Florida. Groups that would see the largest drops in uninsured rates are adults without kids (over 3.5 million), people with only a high school education (over 2 million), and Hispanics/Latinos (1.2 million). 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 ...
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released an updated version of the Marketplace enrollment manual. The manual is designed to provide guidance for users on eligibility and enrollment activities with the federally facilitated Marketplaces (FFM), the federally facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (FF-SHOPS), and to state-based Marketplaces and SHOPs that use the federal eligibility and enrollment platforms (SBMs-FP). The topics covered by the manual include the initial open enrollment periods and important dates, premium payments, direct enrollment, and special enrollment periods. Open Enrollment for 2017 begins November 1, 2016 and ends on January 31, 2017. Outside of the Open Enrollment period, individuals can enroll in a health insurance plan ...
By Eric Moreno, Research Area Specialist Salud America! The U.S. Department of Education has compiled a checklist of 7 things every high school graduate needs to do before leaving for their first semester of college. Make sure your school has your financial aid ready. Many students fill out an application for financial aid. Early and/or mid-summer is an opportune time to check with the financial aid office to make sure all your paperwork is complete. It is also important to make sure that you have enough money to cover any gaps between the cost for school and your financial aid award. Find a part-time job. If this is something you’d be interested in, it would be a good idea to start checking out opportunities in the area of campus before classes start. Working during school ...
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced more than $140 million that will be distributed among 12 workforce programs across the country. A study from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortfall of between 14,900 and 35,600 primary care physicians by 2025. The award from HRSA will fund grants related to primary care training, specifically, encouraging diversity in the primary care workforce. As the Latino population continues to grow in the United States, there is also a growing need for qualified Latino/Hispanic healthcare workers to address this population’s needs. In addition to needing someone to communicate in Spanish, having healthcare workers that are culturally sensitive to the needs of their patients is essential to the ...
Soda consumption is high among Latinos, and it’s one of the main causes of diabetes and obesity in the United States. A new study from Sweden reveals this sugary drink may cause gallbladder cancer, NBC Health reports. For the study, investigators surveyed more than 70,000 individuals and tracked them for more than 13 years and concluded that those who consume more than two sodas a day “had more than twice the risk of developing gallbladder tumors and 79% higher odds of biliary tract cancer.” “The current study is the first study to show a strong link between consumption of sweetened beverages, such as soda, and risk of biliary tract cancer,” lead researcher Susanna Larsson told NBC news. To stay healthy and fit doctors recommend to avoid sodas and all sugary ...
The majority of working adults go to work when they’re feeling sick, especially those that work in low-paying jobs, according to results from a poll conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and NPR. The majority of workers who report for duty feeling sick work in the healthcare and food industries. "It's one of the biggest food safety problems that there is, and we've known about it forever," the Minnesota Department of Health's Kirk Smith told NPR. The poll found that over 60% of workers with low-paying jobs report to work with the flu and other illnesses, compared to 55% of workers with average earning jobs and 52% with high paying jobs. “A lot of them went to work because they were worried about losing their jobs if ...
President Barack Obama recently reviewed one of the signature pieces of his administration in an article contributed to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Writing as “Barack Obama, J.D.,” the President reflected on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its six years of implementation. The President gave praise to the healthcare overhaul and pointed out how the ACA has sharply reduced the number of uninsured in the United States while improving coverage for those who already had it. The current enrollment numbers, as of February 2016, are 12.7 million enrolled through the marketplace, and nearly 20 million total between the ACA between the Marketplace, Medicaid expansion, young adults staying on their parents plan, and other coverage provisions. “The Affordable Care ...
