A HEALTH CARE VICTORY FOR THE
HISPANIC COMMUNITY: IMPACTS OF THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
BY STEVE DEL CASTILLO, PHD
adelante con la salud: latino health care engagement project
Health Disparities Within the Colorado Latino
Population: A Life Cycle View
2
Compared to other groups, Latinos have the highest
health disparities in areas such as:
 Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes (e.g., infant mortality,
perinatal mortality, low-weight births)
 Children’s Health (e.g., obesity & oral health)
 Youth ( e.g., suicide; teen fertility rates; gonorrhea
age 10-17)
 Adults (e.g., life expectancy @ birth; obesity,
diabetes mortality, cervical cancer)
Status of Health Care for Latinos: Results of Colorado
Health Assessment Survey (CHAS): 2011
3
Barriers to Accessing Health Care
On average, Latinos were 40% more likely
than Non-Latinos to
 Have problems Trying To Get Health Care
 Not Receive Needed Care Due to Costs
 Have Problems Paying or Unable to Pay
Any Medical Bills
What Hispanics know about Obamacare
4
 In Colorado, 69% of
Hispanics find
Obamacare confusing
and complicated.
 54% of Colorado
Hispanics can’t name one
policy that is part of
Obamacare.
 Need for targeted
outreach and
education
5
WHY OBAMACARE
MATTERS TO
HISPANICS:
THE RESEARCH
Why the ACA Matters
For Hispanics
6
 In April 2013 Latino Decisions conducted a poll with
Colorado Hispanics and found that 31% of Hispanics
lacked health insurance at some time in the past year
 Twenty percent of low-income Hispanic youth have gone a
year without a visiting a health care provider.
 Half of all Hispanics do not have a regular doctor (US
Census 2012)
 In 2011, one in three Hispanic women were uninsured (14
million Hispanics in the US) making them the largest group
of women in the US without health insurance.
The Research
7
Sponsors:
Adelante con
la Salud
Latino: Latino
Health Care
Engagement
Project
Latino
Decisions
 401 self-identified Latino adults
 No screen on citizenship or voter registration
 Conducted April 11-16, 2013
 All respondents selected at random
 Landline and cell-phone only households
included along with on-line web sample
 Nominal margin of error is +/- 4.9%
 Interviews in Spanish or English at subject’s
discretion
Perceptions of the ACA
8
How much
do you know
about the
Affordable
Care Act,
sometimes
called
Obamacare?
Don't know
9%
Pretty well
informed
22%
Confusing
and
complicated
69%
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
Health Care Costs for Families
9
Decreased
3%
DK
6%
No change
42%
Increased
49%
In the past
year has the
total amount
you pay for
your family's
health care
increased,
decreased, or
remained the
same?
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
Undocumented Immigrants & the ACA
Regardless of
what you’ve
heard about the
law, do you
think
undocumented
immigrants
should be able
to access ACA
benefits?
Don't
Know
9%
Yes,
should be
eligible
62%
No,
should not
29%
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
ACA Information Language Preference
11
Which
language(s)
would you
prefer to
receive
information
about the new
health care
law?
Both
27%
English
59%
Spanish
14%
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
Preferred ACA Information Format
12
Pamphlet mailed home
35%
Television
30%
Website
30%
Pamphlets at doctor…
17%
Email
14%
Call to home
7%
Radio
Hear from…
Text
5%
4%
2%
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
Trusted sources of information
13
Hospitals
27%
Doctors
21%
Community Orgs
17%
Insurance companies
15%
Family
13%
Neighborhood clinics
12%
Employer
7%
Friends
6%
Elected officials
6%
Church
5%
Nurses
5%
Source: Adelante con la Salud /Latino Decisions National Health Care Survey, April 11-16 (N=401)
HOW OBAMACARE
IS HELPING THE
HISPANIC
COMMUNITY
ACA already at work for Hispanics
15
 8.2 million
Hispanics who
have private
insurance now
have access to
expanded
preventive
services without
additional costsharing
Prevention and Obamacare
16

Services that are covered with no-cost sharing if you have
private health insurance include:
Well-child visits
 Blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings
 Pap tests and mammograms for women
 Flu shots for adults and children
 Breast feeding supplies
 Alcohol misuse screening and
counseling
 STD screenings

Expanding Access to Community
Health Centers
17
 Colorado was awarded
$104,071,213 to help
expand services. 175
health centers are
providing preventive
and primary health
care services to
474,241 people.
 In 2009, close to 35%
of patients served by
community health
centers were Hispanic
More Culturally Responsive Care
18
 Increase health care
workforce from
communities of color
through scholarship
and loan repayment
opportunities for
people who commit to
work in medically
underserved areas
More Culturally Responsive Care
19
Current State
 People with limited
English proficiency are
less likely to have a
regular source of care
and get preventive
care
 Less satisfied with
quality of care
Opportunities because of the ACA
Cultural responsive
training among health care
providers to better address
the needs of Hispanics
Expanding Coverage for Hispanics
20
 Hispanics have the most
to gain from health
care reform
 Estimates from RAND
suggest that by 2016,
5.4 million Latinas/os
will gain healthcare
coverage who would
otherwise be uninsured
For More Information
21
steved@multiculturalleadershipcenter.com
303-881-4344
AdelanteconlaSalud
@AdelanteSalud