- Access to healthcare is a human right that must be affordable and available to all.
- Preventive healthcare services are key to ensuring optimal health care and wellness
- Health disparities must be eliminated
- Effective, quality healthcare services are culturally proficient and linguistically appropriate
- Healthcare policy should be dictated by concern of others
BACKGROUND
In Colorado, Latinos have the highest uninsured rate of any racial/ethnic group. More than one-third (36 percent) of Latinos were uninsured in 2003-05, compared with 15 percent of non-Latino blacks and 12 percent of non-Latino whites.
Latinas in Colorado ate affected by cervical cancer at a rate that is twice as high as the state average. The cervical cancer incidence rate for Latinas from 1998-2002 was 13.2 per 100,000 persons, compared to the average state incidence rate of 7.3 per 100,000. Latinas also die from cervical cancer at a rate that is nearly twice that of the state average.
No major healthcare reform legislation is expected until 2008, when the 2008 Commission on Healthcare completes their recommendations.
Policy-Specific Recommendations
The Latina/o Advocacy Day Platform calls for access to healthcare and medication as a human right that must be affordable and accessible to all people. Our ultimate goal is for all people in Colorado to have access to healthcare services. A first step towards that goal is ensuring that all children have healthcare coverage, which the following bills work to achieve.
SB022: CONCERNING OVEREXPENDITURES IN THE CHILDREN’S BASIC HEALTH PLAN
Sponsors Sen. Sandoval & Rep. Ferrandino
Authorizes the children’s basic health plan to spend more than budgeted to ensure that as many eligible children as possible have access to the program.
Status Passed through Senate, assigned to House Finance Committee 02/12
Position Support
SB022 will increase access to healthcare services for children by allowing additional funds to be used as needed in the children’s basic health plan.
SB160: CONCERNING IMPROVEMENTS TO HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN
Sponsors Sen. Hagedorn & Rep. McGihon
Increases the income qualification level for the Medicaid baby and kid care program to 133 percent of the federal poverty level for persons age 6 to 19. Provides for 12-month enrollment following eligibility and ensures continuous enrollment if eligible for the children’s basic health plan. For the children’s basic health plan increases the eligibility level to 225 percent of federal poverty line.
Status To be heard in Senate Health & Human Services Committee
Position Support
This bill will give more children access to healthcare by increasing eligibility levels for the Medicaid for children and babies program and the children’s basic health plan. In addition, by allowing continuous coverage, SB160 will help to streamline the administrative process to access the chi8ldren’s basic health plan.
SB161: CONCERNING ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC MEDICAL BENEFITS
Sponsors Sen. Boyd & Rep. Merrifield
Allows rules to be established to verify income eligibility under Medicaid and the children’s basic health plan through the department of labor and employment. Also allows applicants to submit income records that are more current. Allows reenrollment of recipients based on department of labor and employment records.
Status To be heard in Senate Health & Human Services Committee
Position Support
SB161 helps to reduce the administrative burden on applicants for acceptance and reenrollment in programs that provide healthcare coverage to children. This bill is a family friendly measure that helps to streamline the application and reenrollment process so more kids can be continuously covered through the children’s basic health plan.
How to Get Involved in Healthcare Issues
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR) – info@colorlatina.org -303-393-0382
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative- www.cohealthinitiative.org - 303-838-1261
Health Care for All Colorado – www.healhcareforallcolorado.org -303-277-8306