The Department of Health and Human Services and others working to boost health insurance enrollment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are undertaking a specific effort to target Latinos, who lack insurance at a rate higher than any other demographic group.
HHS, along with 15 non-profit partner groups, is nearing the end of its "Latino Week of Action," that seeks to raise awareness about health insurance enrollment in Hispanic communities across the country.
"With the help of our partners, we're going to push for a very strong finish," HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell told reporters, according to HealthDay.
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Although Latinos have seen the largest gains in insurance since the implementation of PPACA, with an estimated 4 million getting coverage, 20 percent remain uninsured.
But a recent Urban Institute report shows that of those who remain uninsured, 80 percent are unaware of the potential financial assistance available to help get coverage. That's despite the fact that the great majority of Hispanic enrollees do qualify for subsidies.
Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, a nonprofit group that works to boost enrollment, told Public News Service that 85 percent of Latinos who signed up for a health plan during the second enrollment period received some level of financial assistance.
"There's a disconnect in awareness of what's available," she told the Miami Herald.
Rising health care disparities impacting Latinos has underscores the importance of boosting enrollment among Hispanics.
Advocates have raised concerns about rising obesity rates among Latino children, who are less likely to have access to parks or other facilities that promote physical activity.
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