Minorities groups speak out on health care reform
Everyone is making their voice heard on health care reform it seems, but there's one group that has been noticeably absent from the fray and experts say they have the most to gain from reform: minorities.
Well, this week some of the nation's most influential minority advocacy groups have stepped up to demand a voice at the table as Congress continues to battle over how to overhaul the nation's health care system. The NAACP, the National Council of La Raza and the Leadership Council on Civil Rights and others have joined forces to advocate for reform.
Blacks and Latinos are more likely than whites to go without health care because they can't afford it, are less than half as likely as whites to have a regular doctor and minorities have among the highest rates of being uninsured.
Preaching that health care is a moral imperative, the groups are taking to the airwaves with an ad campaign, for which the details can be found here: http://www.healthequityforall.org. They're pushing for a comprehensive coverage and quality for all and a plan that includes what has been at the core of the health care fight lately: a public insurance option.
"If we had enacted real health care reform in the past decade, then we would have saved the lives of 880,000 African-Americans," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP president and CEO, in a statement. "Real people are going bankrupt, losing their homes and even dying for real health care reform in this country."
Last night, the NAACP's Washington branch held a town hall meeting in an effort to debunk myths about the proposals in congress and provide members an opportunity to ask questions of congressional staffers and experts on reform. As the fight over health care reform heats up, we expect there will be more advocacy to come.
Photo: NAACP president Ben Jealous and members of Congressional Black Caucus urge for reform earlier this year.
Comments
Health care rushing through shorter time than it took BO to pick a dog. Shouldn't we as a nation assure ourselves that Obama is legally President before letting him tell us if we can see a doctor or not? Who gave him this power? He hasn't even given a birth certificate yet so WHO IS HE? Republicans are the only ones asking these tough questions, and it will serve them well in 2010 because BO has NO ANSWER to this. He just has no proof he was born here, and there's plenty showing he was born in Kenya.
Posted by: Kevin | October 9, 2009 7:06 PM
Objectors to this are very shor-sighted to overlook the real meat of what is going on in America today and that is the lack of regulation in the insurance industry. I am from another country, living here for a 3 year work stint. I pay cash for my insurance and submit my bills back to my expat insurer for reimbursement...so here is the real kicker....when I pay cash for an x-ray, I pay 75 dollars, if it were to go through insurance it would be 400 dollars. I pay cash 250 dollars for a mammogram and if were to go through insurance it is in the range of 3500 dollars. Why is this okay with everyone??? Obviously, the real cost of healthcare, and the inflated cost billed to insurers is extremely different and there IS absolutely room to meet in the middle on these ridiculous price fluctuations. Don't stand for the ridiculous cost of premiums when you and a group of your friends could probably self insure and cash pay at the Dr. office and come out with more money saved in the end. This is insurance fraud. Health care is not a business, it should be a right, especially for children. Please put yourself in the position of someone who has to choose between health care for a sick child, or a meal for the family. This approach to health care is very third world.
Posted by: me | October 12, 2009 12:05 PM