@$%^*((@$*+_@&%

We have AMERICAN CITIZENS, ELDERLY AND VETERANS that don't have health care! How much more in "your face" are we supposed to take?



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bus ... 88374.html

Sept. 14, 2006, 11:31PM
Report calls for outreach to uninsured Hispanics
Only 1 in 4 across the U.S. covered by jobs

By MY-THUAN TRAN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON * The growing number of Latinos without health insurance could be reduced if the government offered small businesses tax incentives to provide coverage, a Hispanic advocacy group said Thursday.

Many Latinos hold low-wage jobs in small businesses that are not as likely to offer health insurance, according to a report issued by the Latino Coalition. The group said only one in four Latinos nationwide has employer-provided insurance.

The report also recommended that the government offer tax credits, which would reduce taxes by a dollar for every dollar put into health savings accounts. These accounts use a mixture of savings and insurance to
help people cover medical expenses.

The main barrier to adequate health care for Latinos * along with poverty, language and low education levels * is not having health insurance, said Robert de Posada, the president of the Latino Coalition.

The percentage of Latinos without insurance is among the highest among all ethnic groups, the group said. More than half of Texas' uninsured population is Latino, according to the 2000 Census.

The report calls for programs that are tailored to Latino culture and Spanish language.

For example, Hispanics face a higher risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, than non-Hispanics. When making health policy, the government should take these differences into account, the report said.

"Not all programs affect all populations the same way," said Glenn Melnick, a professor at the University of Southern California who co-authored the report. "We have to understand the different languages and cultures to make programs effective."

The report called for more funding for community clinics that offer free or low-cost health care in places with high Latino populations.

The government should also make efforts to increase the low enrollment of Latino children in federally funded health programs, the report said. One-fifth of Latino children lack health insurance.

The Latino Coalition said the government needs to find ways to get uninsured Latino children into programs such as Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage to uninsured low-income children.

"These strategies are doable and easy to achieve," de Posada said. "We are tired of waiting for people to act."

my-thuan@chron.com